ELUCIDATING PARENTAL PERCEPTION OF HEALTH MESSAGES IN PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS ON SIDS AND CO-SLEEPING
Creators: name: Nicholson-Springer, Crystal
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2013

description: I. Abstract Objective: To conduct a formative research study to assess how women of reproductive age understand selected public service announcements (PSAs) that depict a causal relationship between co-sleeping and SIDS. To compare women’s understanding of these ads among groups with first-time expectant parents or parents, matched by SES. Methods: Five focus groups were conducted by a single moderator. Four groups included mothers with children under the age of 2, and 1 group included first-time expectant mothers, with a total recruitment of 31 participants. At the end of the recruitment phase, 3 groups of high socioeconomic status (SES) mothers,1 group of low SES mothers, and 1 group of high SES first-time expectant women were populated. Attempts were made to match participants into homogenous groups of similar SES status using education and WIC eligibility as proxies. The result was 3 high SES groups that included 63% non-Hispanic White, 30% non-Hispanic Black, and 7% Hispanic. The group of low SES consisted of 3 African American women. The first time expectant mother group included four white high SES women. Each focus group session was approximately 90 minutes long and centered on discussion of 4 PSAs relating SIDS and sleeping in parental bed (here-in referred to as “co-sleeping”). Results: Participants within the 3 high SES mothers’ groups found the three negative ads depicting a causal relationship between co-sleeping and SIDS to be “overly manipulative.” They commented on how the ads used shock value to capture the attention of the audience it hoped to educate. In addition they felt the ads were inaccurate, lacking the support of statistical data and failing to provide linkage to credible sources to obtain more information. In comparison, participants within 2 groups: the lower SES and first-time expectant mothers groups, accepted the information in these ads, citing them as credible and perceived as speaking to them directly. The five focus groups reacted similarly to the one ad that supported a mother and infant in bed together; all participants agreed the ad was appealing emotionally and, yet, the message remained unclear: Was its intent to promote room sharing or bed-sharing in the hospital, at home or both? Therefore, participants stated they were unable to determine the accuracy and credibility of the ad overall. Conclusions: This study revealed that parents and expectant parents varied in their impression of PSAs depicting a causal relationship between co-sleeping and SIDS. Some participants opined that the shock value of negative ads was intentional to capture the attention of the target audience and encourage them to investigate the topic further through research. Other participants found the ads to be inaccurate because they relied heavily on analogies implying a causative relationship between co-sleeping and SIDS without mentioning SIDS directly, or explaining why infants might die in adult beds. Although participants’ opinion on the use of negative ads to educate the public on infant sleep varied, there was general agreement that educational ads should rely heavily on statistical data from credible sources recognized nationally for providing health related information on infant and child care needs.