Perinatal mental health and active-duty military spouses: a scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Mental health conditions (i.e. depression or anxiety) are the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth in the United States (U.S.) and are associated with increased maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. Research has demonstrated a relationship between stress and mental health diagnoses in pregnancy; therefore, it is concerning that military families face unique challenges which contribute to additional stressors among spouses of active-duty (AD) military personnel during the perinatal period. The objective of this scoping review was to understand the current state of research on perinatal stress or perinatal mental health among American spouses of AD military personnel. METHODS: The Boolean phrase was created in consultation with 2 health science librarians and the following databases searched in October 2023: PubMed, Embase, Military and Government Collection, CINAHL, and PsychINFO. 2 reviewers identified 481 studies for screening once duplicates were removed. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 21 studies remained for data extraction and analysis. RESULTS: Most of the studies were quantitative, took place in the southern U.S., and the most represented military branch was Air Force. Most of the studies included both AD military members and AD spouses; 28% focused solely on AD spouses. Samples were not racially diverse, and findings identified racial disparities in perinatal mental health conditions. There was a wide variety in outcome measures, including the following general categories: (1) stress, anxiety, and/or depression, (2) maternal-infant attachment, (3) group prenatal care, and (4) deployment focus. Our review identified the following concepts: spouses most at risk for perinatal mental health conditions, the need for perinatal mental health screening, and the need for social support. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from the identified studies indicate a need for additional research in this area. Additionally, findings highlight circumstances unique to this population that result in an increased risk of stress and/or mental health conditions during the perinatal period. Such challenges demand improved mental health screening and additional resources for this population. Meeting the needs of this unique population also requires significant funding and policy change to allow for increased access to mental health resources and to ensure the health of the birthing person and infant.

A Simple and Systematic Approach to Qualitative Data Extraction From Social Media for Novice Health Care Researchers: Tutorial.

Social media analyses have become increasingly popular among health care researchers. Social media continues to grow its user base and, when analyzed, offers unique insight into health problems. The process of obtaining data for social media analyses varies greatly and involves ethical considerations. Data extraction is often facilitated by software tools, some of which are open source, while others are costly and therefore not accessible to all researchers. The use of software for data extraction is accompanied by additional challenges related to the uniqueness of social media data. Thus, this paper serves as a tutorial for a simple method of extracting social media data that is accessible to novice health care researchers and public health professionals who are interested in pursuing social media research. The discussed methods were used to extract data from Facebook for a study of maternal perspectives on sudden unexpected infant death.

Photos Shared on Facebook in the Context of Safe Sleep Recommendations: Content Analysis of Images.

Background: Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) remains a leading cause of infant mortality; therefore, understanding parental practices of infant sleep at home is essential. Since social media analyses yield invaluable patient perspectives, understanding sleep practices in the context of safe sleep recommendations via a Facebook mothers' group is instrumental for policy makers, health care providers, and researchers. Objective: This study aimed to identify photos shared by mothers discussing SUID and safe sleep online and assess their consistency with infant sleep guidelines per the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). We hypothesized the photos would not be consistent with guidelines based on prior research and increasing rates of accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed. Methods: Data were extracted from a Facebook mothers' group in May 2019. After trialing various search terms, searching for the term "SIDS" on the selected Facebook group resulted in the most relevant discussions on SUID and safe sleep. The resulting data, including 20 posts and 912 comments among 512 mothers, were extracted and underwent qualitative descriptive content analysis. In completing the extraction and subsequent analysis, 24 shared personal photos were identified among the discussions. Of the photos, 14 pertained to the infant sleep environment. Photos of the infant sleep environment were then assessed for consistency with safe sleep guidelines per the AAP standards by 2 separate reviewers. Results: Of the shared photos relating to the infant sleep environment, 86% (12/14) were not consistent with AAP safe sleep guidelines. Specific inconsistencies included prone sleeping, foreign objects in the sleeping environment, and use of infant sleeping devices. Use of infant monitoring devices was also identified. Conclusions: This study is unique because the photos originated from the home setting, were in the context of SUID and safe sleep, and were obtained without researcher interference. Despite study limitations, the commonality of prone sleeping, foreign objects, and the use of both infant sleep and monitoring devices (ie, overall inconsistency regarding AAP safe sleep guidelines) sets the stage for future investigation regarding parental barriers to practicing safe infant sleep and has implications for policy makers, clinicians, and researchers.

Development of a health communication campaign to promote the Texas prescription monitoring program.

Given the role opioid overprescribing has played in the current overdose crisis, reducing the supply of prescription opioids available for misuse has gained widespread support. Prescription monitoring programs (PMPs) have been identified as a tool for achieving this goal, but little is known about how to promote PMP use to prescribers. This paper describes the process of developing a health communication campaign to support the adoption of the Texas PMP. After formative research, message development and concept testing, a range of campaign concepts and messages were tested and final recommendations determined. The messages and lessons learned have utility beyond Texas.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome on Facebook: Qualitative Descriptive Content Analysis to Guide Prevention Efforts.

BACKGROUND: Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), which includes the diagnosis of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), is a leading cause of infant mortality in the United States. Despite prevention efforts, many parents continue to create unsafe infant sleep environments and use potentially dangerous infant sleep and monitoring devices, ultimately leading to sleep-related infant deaths. Analyzing Facebook conversations regarding SIDS may offer a unique maternal perspective to guide future research and prevention efforts. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe and analyze conversations among mothers engaged in discussions about SIDS on a Facebook mother's group. We were interested in understanding maternal knowledge of SIDS, identifying information sources for SIDS, describing actual infant sleep practices, exploring opinions regarding infant sleep products and monitoring devices, and discovering evidence of provider communication regarding SIDS. METHODS: We extracted and analyzed 20 posts and 912 comments from 512 mothers who participated in a specific Facebook mother's group and engaged in conversations about SIDS. There were 2 reviewers who coded the data using qualitative descriptive content analysis. Themes were induced after discussion among researchers and after the study objectives were addressed. RESULTS: The theme of social support emerged, specifically informational and emotional support. A variety of informational sources for SIDS and safe sleep were identified, as was a continuum of infant sleep practices (ranging from unsafe to safe sleep per the American Academy of Pediatrics standards). There was widespread discussion regarding infant sleep products and monitoring devices. Embedded within conversations were (1) confusion among commonly used medical terminology, (2) the practice of unsafe infant sleep, (3) inconsistency in provider communication about SIDS, and (4) maternal anxiety regarding SIDS. CONCLUSIONS: We uncovered new findings in this analysis, such as the commonality of infant sleep products and monitoring devices and widespread maternal anxiety regarding SIDS. Additionally, mothers who participated in the Facebook group provided and received informational and emotional support regarding SIDS via this social media format. Such results can guide future prevention efforts by informing health communication regarding SUID and safe sleep. Future provider and public health agency communication on the topic of SUID and safe sleep should be simple and clear, address infant sleep products and monitoring devices, address maternal anxiety regarding SIDS, and address the common practice of unsafe sleep.

Application of project management tools and techniques to support nursing intervention research.

Nursing research involves much planning and attention to details, yet novice and seasoned nurse researchers often overlook the day-to-day operations required to conduct research studies. Project management is a set of iterative steps that can facilitate the process of conducting nursing research. In this paper we aim to provide an overview of project management and identify ways in which its specific principles and strategies may be applied to facilitate nursing research. Here we give an overview of our current longitudinal study using a Solomon four-group design and illustrate how we applied strategies and tools from the project management literature. In addition, we offer descriptions and illustrations of several other project management tools that could have been used in specific phases of this research project. We encourage nurse educators and researchers to familiarize themselves with the principles of project management and consider using them in future studies.

Outpatient- or community-based interventions to prevent SIDS and sleep-related deaths.

PURPOSE: To determine the state of science of outpatient- or community-based interventions for sudden infant death syndrome prevention in the United States, an integrative review was completed and studies identified through the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Of the nine studies identified, three were randomized controlled trials. There was a wide range of measurement tools and variables measured. The timing of interventions also varied. There was a focus on mothers and African Americans. Lastly, study design and approach have not changed significantly over time. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Findings highlight recommendations for future research: expanding the target population, addressing culture in the development of the intervention or program, including additional providers, such as nurses, in the intervention or program, advancing innovation, and increasing rigor of study design.

An Integrative Review: Understanding Parental Use of Social Media to Influence Infant and Child Health.

OBJECTIVES: Parents of young children have unique informational needs and it has been demonstrated that information-seeking behaviors influence health outcomes. Due to social media's popularity, understanding parents' use of social media may assist in disseminating accurate parenting information and in developing targeted interventions. Thus, we aimed to identify and describe the existing literature of parental use of social media for parenting in the U.S. METHODS: After searching nine databases with two separate Boolean phrases, identified articles were reviewed. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, resulting in 12 articles published between January 2004 and May 2018 that related to parental use of social media for parenting or infant health in the U.S. Data from relevant articles were then extracted and analyzed. RESULTS: Facebook was the most frequent social media format. Parental utilization of social media varied by race/ethnicity and region. Studies primarily focused on women and a range of article topics were identified, the most common being infant feeding practices. Finally, two themes emerged: (1) parental support via social media and (2) effectiveness of using social media for health communication targeting parents. CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: Social media provided support for parents and was effective for communicating health information; thus, public health organizations should include social media in their efforts to promote infant and child health. More research is needed to further identify demographic differences in social media use among parents.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: A Global Public Health Issue and Nursing's Response.

Sudden unexplained death in infancy, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), is a global public health challenge. Despite public health campaigns and efforts, SIDS remains the leading cause of postneonatal mortality in many developed countries. In this article, we review SIDS, describe nursing's unique professional position in addressing this problem, and explore how the principles of social justice can inform nursing's response. Motivated by nursing's ethical and moral obligations, the profession is called to take an active role in educating others regarding this phenomenon, to participate in research, and to develop or advocate for policy that aims to reduce the incidence of SIDS on an international scale.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Safe Sleep on Twitter: Analysis of Influences and Themes to Guide Health Promotion Efforts.

BACKGROUND: In the United States, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the leading cause of death in infants aged 1 month to 1 year. Approximately 3500 infants die from SIDS and sleep-related reasons on a yearly basis. Unintentional sleep-related deaths and bed sharing, a known risk factor for SIDS, are on the rise. Furthermore, ethnic disparities exist among those most affected by SIDS. Despite public health campaigns, infant mortality persists. Given the popularity of social media, understanding social media conversations around SIDS and safe sleep may assist the medical and public health communities with information needed to spread, reinforce, or counteract false information regarding SIDS and safe sleep. OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to investigate the social media conversation around SIDS and safe sleep to understand the possible influences and guide health promotion efforts and public health research as well as enable health professionals to engage in directed communication regarding this topic. METHODS: We used textual analytics to identify topics and extract meanings contained in unstructured textual data. Twitter messages were captured during September, October, and November in 2017. Tweets and retweets were collected using NUVI software in conjunction with Twitter's search API using the keywords: "sids," "infant death syndrome," "sudden infant death syndrome," and "safe sleep." This returned a total of 41,358 messages, which were analyzed using text mining and social media monitoring software. RESULTS: Multiple themes were identified, including recommendations for safe sleep to prevent SIDS, safe sleep devices, the potential causes of SIDS, and how breastfeeding reduces SIDS. Compared with September and November, more personal and specific stories of infant loss were demonstrated in October (Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month). The top influencers were news organizations, universities, and health-related organizations. CONCLUSIONS: We identified valuable topics discussed and shared on Twitter regarding SIDS and safe sleep. The study results highlight the contradicting information a subset of the population is exposed to regarding SIDS and the continued controversy over vaccines. In addition, this analysis emphasizes the lack of public health organizations' presence on Twitter compared with the influence of universities and news media organizations. The results also demonstrate the prevalence of safe sleep products that are embedded in safe sleep messaging. These findings can assist providers in speaking about relevant topics when engaging in conversations about the prevention of SIDS and the promotion of safe sleep. Furthermore, public health agencies and advocates should utilize social media and Twitter to better communicate accurate health information as well as continue to combat the spread of false information.