Characteristics of included papers on decision-making for the infant sleep environment in families with children considered to be at high risk of SUDI: studies using focus groups
| Lead author Year Country | Sample size | Study aim | Target population | Topic guide broad categories | Analysis | QATSDD score (%) |
| Chianese 2009 USA22 | 28 | To understand parents’ motivations for bed-sharing with their infants, their beliefs about safety concerns and their attitudes about bed-sharing advice | Primary caregivers of infants 1–6 months, bed-sharing regularly; recruitment from inner city centre serving families in receipt of medical benefit | Experiences sleeping with baby, changes over time, advice and concerns | Grounded theory | 39/42 (92.9) |
| Yuma-Guerrero 2013 USA15 | 58 | Understanding pregnant and parenting teenagers' child safety beliefs and practices related to injury-related death for young children | Teenage parents enrolled at participating school, pregnant or parenting, spoke English or Spanish | Worries, biggest threat, where does baby sleep, location, surface, anything around baby, wearing, position, advice | Content analysis | 22/42 (52.4) |
| Gaydos 2015 USA21 | 60 | Understand how low-income, African–American mothers understand and act on safe sleep recommendations for newborns and how providers counsel these mothers | African–American mothers, over 18, spoke English, first-time mother of infant aged <6 months | Safe sleep practices, reasons for bed-sharing, reasons for prone or side position, understanding of recommendations from health workers | Content analysis | 24/42 (57.1) |
| Herman 2015 USA20 | 73 | Beliefs among African–American and American Indian families about infant safe sleep practices, barriers and more effective messaging strategies | African–American or American Indian mothers with babies under 2 years or their ’supporters' | Infant safe sleep practices, safe sleep messages | Grounded theory | 19/42 (45.2) |
| Caraballo 2016 USA23 | 43 | Practices, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding infant sleep among adolescent mothers | Adolescent mothers with infants younger than 1 year who attend high school day care centres | Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and current practices for safe sleep, information sources, factors motivating decision-making | Grounded theory | 22/42 (52.4) |
QATSDD, Quality Assessment Tool for Studies with Diverse Designs; SUDI, sudden unexpected death in infancy.