Search

Background: High rates of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) in the 1990s prompted concerted efforts globally to identify associated factors through epidemiological studies. Subsequent findings informed sudden infant death risk reduction campaigns in many countries at the end of last century. Despite achieving an 85% decline in Australian SUDI rates preventable sleep-related infant mortality remains. In the last two decades the pace of SUDI rate reduction has become more gradual, and since 2004 has plateaued. Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy continues to be a major public health concern and remains a leading category of post-neonatal infant death in Australia., Modifiable infant care practices are recognised as the most important factors parents and health practitioners can influence to reduce the risk of sleep-related infant mortality. Consequently, modifiable infant care practices are the focus of SUDI safe sleeping public health campaigns. However, most infant sleep-related deaths occur in situations where national public health advice for safe infant sleeping has not been followed. Understanding family engagement with the current national infant safe sleeping public health awareness program and their acceptance and uptake of the safe sleep messages remains largely unknown, especially within contemporary Australia. Subsequently, the overarching aim of this thesis was to investigate the uptake of Australia’s national ‘Safe Sleeping’ program, with a targeted exploration of the six-key messages intended to reduce the risk of sudden and unexpected infant mortality among Queensland families.