Implementing Infant Safe Sleep Education to Improve Parental Self-Efficacy in Rural Indiana: A Doctoral Capstone Report

Abstract

Research indicates that poor self-efficacy can negatively impact successful engagement in the occupation of parenting. In addition to hurting parents’ sense of competence, a lack of preparedness and knowledge can also be dangerous, as evidenced by the nearly 3,500 infant deaths which occur in the United States annually from mostly preventable sleep-related causes. Due to a variety of factors, members of minority and rural communities often have more difficulty accessing resources such as health- and parenting-related education. Because of this, the author chose to design and implement a doctoral capstone project in Clinton County, IN, a rural community with a large Hispanic/Latino immigrant population. The project centered on the creation of accessible, culturally sensitive educational resources on safe sleep and SIDS prevention to increase awareness of safe sleep practices and improve the self-efficacy of Hispanic and Latino parents in Clinton County. A brief educational presentation, along with pre- and post-surveys were created and delivered in partnership with a local organization to 15 Hispanic and one Caucasian community member. The survey results indicated a clear increase in participants’ knowledge and understanding of safe sleep and SIDS prevention practices, along with their confidence in their own abilities to keep infants safe during sleep. These results are indicative that increased access to culturally sensitive educational resources for minority members of rural communities is both necessary and beneficial for increasing the self-efficacy and success of parents within these communities.