Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Conflicted and Skeptical: Maternal Perspectives on Infant Sleeping Patterns among African American living in Columbus, Ohio and their Relationship to Public Health Messaging

Abstract Details

2018, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Anthropology.
African Americans have the highest rate of infant mortality in the U.S., making them the target of public health messaging emphasizing safe sleep practices. Problematic is the lack of data on sleeping arrangements of African American infants and reasons for parent’s choices. In this thesis, I report results from 11 semi-structured interviews with African American mothers living in Columbus, Ohio neighborhoods with high infant mortality rates. I focused on two research questions: 1) in terms of infant sleep positions, why have African American mothers adopted their current practices 2) how do African American mothers perceive current public health safe sleep messaging. Using grounded theory and profile analysis to analyze the interview data, I identified four major themes regarding mothers’ justifications for their infants’ sleeping patterns. These were convenience, comfort, active sleeper, and child individuality. In terms of maternal perceptions of safe sleep messaging, I identified three major themes, which included modification, skepticism, and what women referred to as “of age”. Importantly, I learned that African American mothers’ criteria for infant sleep positions were not easily integrated into the current public health messaging agenda. I suggest that addressing this disconnect is critical for the development of effective public health messaging aimed at reducing infant mortality.
Barbara Piperata (Advisor)
Anna Willow (Committee Member)
Douglas Crews (Committee Member)
79 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Tomu, T. L. (2018). Conflicted and Skeptical: Maternal Perspectives on Infant Sleeping Patterns among African American living in Columbus, Ohio and their Relationship to Public Health Messaging [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1540313697044217

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Tomu, Taylor. Conflicted and Skeptical: Maternal Perspectives on Infant Sleeping Patterns among African American living in Columbus, Ohio and their Relationship to Public Health Messaging. 2018. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1540313697044217.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Tomu, Taylor. "Conflicted and Skeptical: Maternal Perspectives on Infant Sleeping Patterns among African American living in Columbus, Ohio and their Relationship to Public Health Messaging." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1540313697044217

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)