Using social marketing to increase awareness of the African American infant mortality disparity

Profiles of adults most likely to become a foster family: A latent profile analysis

BACKGROUND

The shortage of foster families to protect maltreated children requires urgent and effective solutions supported by theoretical and evidence-based frameworks. However, most research has focused only on the perspective of foster parents and has not been theoretically grounded. To the best of our knowledge, profiles of prospective foster families with representative samples from the general population have not yet been identified.

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to identify the profile(s) of Portuguese adults most likely to become a foster family through latent profile analysis, exploring socio-demographic variables and factors related to capability, opportunity, and motivation (COM-B model) as predictors of profile membership.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

A representative sample of 1082 adults (Portugal) completed a survey comprising several self-report measures aligned with the theoretical dimensions of the COM-B model.

RESULTS

The results revealed three profiles: Ready Responders (highest scores on awareness, willingness, and intention), Willing Waverers (high scores on willingness and moderate scores on awareness and intention), and Reluctant Bystanders (lowest scores on all indicators). Having children, contact with the child protection system, conscientiousness, social well-being, parental self-efficacy, family communication, and family-related, self-oriented, and child-centered reasons were significant predictors of profile membership.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the value of theory-informed profiling to inform targeted recruitment strategies for prospective foster families.

Descriptions of Maternal Mortality From Nurses Who Practice in Perinatal Settings

OBJECTIVE

To explore nurses' descriptions of maternal mortality when caring for women in the perinatal period in Indiana.

DESIGN

A qualitative descriptive approach was used to produce nurses' descriptions of maternal mortality.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

Convenience sample of 16 nurses recruited from the Indiana Section of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

MEASUREMENTS

Semistructured phone interviews were conducted, and participants were asked to explain their experiences related to maternal mortality. This information, which was summarized using content analysis, provided data related to nurses' descriptions of maternal mortality when caring for women in the perinatal period.

RESULTS

Analysis revealed three main themes that explain nurses' descriptions of maternal mortality: When It Comes to Maternal Mortality: Out of Sight Is Out of Mind, Nurses Express Detachment From Their Role in Preventing Maternal Mortality, and Experience With Maternal Mortality or a Near-Miss Event Is a Turning Point for Nurses.

CONCLUSION

Nurses who have limited experience with maternal mortality and who approach the issue in a detached manner may miss opportunities to provide health education to women in the perinatal period. Nurses need education on substance use disorders in the perinatal period, guidance on how to support women in the postpartum period, and support for coping with death and dying in the perinatal period.

Interventions to Improve Safer Sleep Practices in Families With Children Considered to Be at Increased Risk for Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy: A Systematic Review

Background: Advice to families to follow infant care practices known to reduce the risks of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) has led to a reduction in deaths across the world. This reduction has slowed in the last decade with most deaths now occurring in families experiencing social and economic deprivation. A systematic review of the literature was commissioned by the National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel in England. The review covered three areas: interventions to improve engagement with support services, parental decision-making for the infant sleep environment, and interventions to improve safer sleep practices in families with infants considered to be at risk of SUDI. Aim: To describe the safer sleep interventions tested with families with infants at risk of SUDI and investigate what this literature can tell us about what works to reduce risk and embed safer sleep practices in this group. Methods: Eight online databases were systematically searched in December 2019. Intervention studies that targeted families with infants (0-1 year) at increased risk of SUDI were included. Studies were limited to those from Western Europe, North America or Australasia, published in the last 15 years. The Quality Assessment Tool for Studies with Diverse Designs was applied to assess quality. Data from included studies were extracted for narrative synthesis, including mode of delivery using Michie et al.'s Mode of Delivery Taxonomy. Results: The wider review returned 3,367 papers, with 23 intervention papers. Five types of intervention were identified: (1) infant sleep space and safer sleep education programs, (2) intensive or targeted home visiting services, (3) peer educators/ambassadors, (4) health education/raising awareness interventions, (5) targeted health education messages using digital media. Conclusion: Influencing behavior in families with infants at risk of SUDI has traditionally focused on "getting messages across," with interventions predominantly using education and awareness raising mechanisms. This review found evidence of interventions moving from "information giving" to "information exchange" models using personalized, longer term relationship-building models. This shift may represent an improvement in how safer sleep advice is implemented in families with infants at risk, but more robust evidence of effectiveness is required. Systematic Review Registration: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/901091/DfE_Death_in_infancy_review.pdf, identifier: CRD42020165302.

Evaluation of tooth brushing behavior change by social marketing approach among primary students in Qom, Iran: A quasi-experimental controlled study

OBJECTIVES

Nowadays traditional training methods for promotion of oral health behaviors cannot meet the demand of the society and there is a need for effective new methods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of social marketing approach versus the traditional method on promotion of tooth brushing habits in primary school students of Kahak and Jafariyeh, Qom, Iran.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study was conducted in the 2016-2017 academic year. First, the reasons for lack of interest in proper tooth brushing were evaluated. Forgetting and laziness were determined as the most important reasons. According to these results, appropriate intervention tools related to proper tooth brushing habits were designed. Then, the students' tooth brushing habits were recorded before the intervention. Students in Kahak that were considered non-randomly as intervention group received the designed educational package according to the social marketing approach for one and a half months. In Jafariyeh (control group), the students received training only through pamphlets as traditional method. After the intervention, the tooth brushing habits of the students were recorded. The habits before and after the intervention were compared using statistical tests.

RESULTS

Increased length of tooth brushing to at least two minutes was 28.0% in Kahak and 14.0% in Jafariyeh (P<0.001) and increased frequency of tooth brushing to at least two times per day was 30.5% in Kahak and 11.8% in Jafariyeh (P<0.001). Improvement in tooth brushing habits (at least two minutes twice daily) was 32.9% in Kahak and 13.0% in Jafariyeh (P<0.001).

CONCLUSION

The use of the social marketing approach is more effective than traditional methods in promoting oral health behaviors.