Abstract
A study examined the appropriateness and likelihood of usage of the north American Period of PURPLE Crying® intervention program in far north Queensland, to educate families about the risk of infant abusive head trauma (AHT)/shaken baby syndrome. A mixed-method cross-sectional study with a questionnaire and semi-structured interview was conducted with 33 health professionals in far north Queensland (FNQ) to gauge their opinions of the Period of PURPLE Crying program's educational materials. Seventy per cent of participants were aware of infant AHT; 87.8% agreed the program would be appropriate for far north Queensland populations; 90% agreed that new parents/carers could learn new strategies to deal with inconsolable crying, and that men would be particularly advantaged. In their present form, the educational materials of the Period of PURPLE Crying are appropriate for use. As such, the researchers intend to undertake a pilot implementation in FNQ.
Highlights
A study examined the appropriateness and likelihood of usage of the north American Period of PURPLE Crying® intervention program in far north Queensland, to educate families about the risk of infant abusive head trauma (AHT)/shaken baby syndrome
The level of self-reported awareness of infant AHT amongst interviewees was high (>70%) and 87.8% agreed that PURPLE would be an appropriate education program for populations in far north Queensland (FNQ)
More than 90% of the respondents agreed that new parents and carers would be likely to learn new strategies to deal with inconsolable crying, and that male care providers would be advantaged by knowing the action steps to take when a baby’s crying is frustrating (87.9%)
Summary
Abusive head trauma (AHT) is a significant cause of infant death and morbidity and is described as both the most expensive injury to receive and the cheapest to prevent[1]. Evaluating the PURPLE materials for their suitability in rural and remote Australian contexts was the focus of this recent far north Queensland (FNQ) based scoping project. Infants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent have been reported to be up to three times more likely to experience an incidence of severe AHT compared to non-Indigenous children[7], indicating a need for culturally sensitive intervention programs. Researchers sought to examine the suitability and likelihood of usage of the PURPLE intervention to garner the expert opinion and anecdotal experience of AHT within a sample of 33 consenting health professionals who would be likely to distribute the program if it were implemented within their health setting. Perceptions of the utility of the PURPLE intervention program in rural/remote/regional settings, including attitudes towards a planned clinical intervention trial in 2013. Ethical approval from Queensland Health’s Human Research Ethics Committee was obtained prior to study commencement
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