Parental Awareness Regarding Shaken Baby Syndrome and Associated Factors in Jordan

Abstract

Background: Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is a serious public health issue believed to result from non-accidental trauma by violently shaking the baby. Purpose: To evaluate the awareness about SBS among parents in Jordan. Risk factors associated with SBS including psychological distress and age were investigated. Methods: A descriptive questionnairebased study consisting of demographic characteristics, SBS knowledge, and parental selfreported psychological distress was conducted. The questionnaire was conducted online between September and October 2022. Descriptive analysis of frequency and percent distribution was used for demographic analysis. Contingency table (Cross Tabulation and Chi-square) along with frequency analysis was used to describe the associations among the frequency distributions of the categorical variables. Results: Over two-thirds (67.65%) of parents (a total of 306 participants) were unaware of SBS and 68.30% of them reported shaking their children. Aging was significantly associated with less SBS knowledge and more self-reported psychological distress. Self-reported psychological distress was significantly associated with increased shaking incidents (p<0.05). Most parents who had shaken their children and were unaware of the syndrome reported psychological distress at an ages of 30 and above. Conclusion: A serious lack of SBS awareness exists among parents in Jordan. Parents’ characteristics including age and self-reported psychological distress are important factors to formulate a logical understanding of the SBS phenomenon. The triad of SBS knowledge, age and psychological distress should be essential components of successful educational programs. Implications for Nursing: The study supports the need for SBS interdisciplinary education and training programs for parents and professionals caring for babies in pediatrics units. Keywords: Shaken baby syndrome, Knowledge, Psychological distress, Abusive head trauma.