Priority setting: Consensus for Australia's infant safe sleeping public health promotion programme

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatrics
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) remains a significant concern.
• Existing public health programs require revision to incorporate current evidence and best practices.
• Effective risk reduction strategies are essential for infant safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish focused priorities for revising Australia's SUDI risk reduction public health program.
• To identify key themes and actionable strategies for infant safe sleep campaigns.
• To ensure program revisions are relevant to the Australian context and family needs.

Main Methods:

• A two-phase content expert consensus study was conducted.
• Phase 1 utilized a Delphi process with 56 national and international experts.
• Phase 2 employed a Nominal Group workshop with 17 Australasian experts and stakeholders.

Main Results:

• Ten key SUDI risk reduction themes were identified and ranked.
• Priorities were established for key message wording, caregiver support, and campaign dissemination.
• Top priority themes included sleep position, sleep space, smoking, and surface-sharing.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully established clear infant safe sleep priorities for SUDI risk reduction.
• International expertise enhanced outcomes, while national input ensured local relevance.
• Findings provide a foundation for revising and developing future SUDI risk reduction programs.