Funded Projects

Empowering Community Leaders with Sleep Safety

Project Year

2025

City & State

Miami, Florida

Program Name

CATCH Resident

Topic

Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID)

Program Description

Problem - Sudden Unexplained Infant Death (SUID) has been on the rise since 2020 with over 3,500 annual infant deaths in the United States (US) due to sleep-related causes.1,2 SUID, specifically preventable sleep-related deaths from suffocation and entrapment, disproportionately affects racial minorities with a prevalence two or three times higher in non-Hispanic Black infants than in non-Hispanic White infants.1,3 Proposed reasons include cultural beliefs and family, knowledge gaps, limited access to resources, and misinformation.1,4 The Haitian community in South Florida experiences a disproportionately high rate of sleep-related deaths.5 Given the language barriers and relative lack of cultural or linguistically appropriate health education materials,  communication is one of the biggest barriers affecting anticipatory guidance for this community.5 Therefore, Haitian parents rely extensively on prominent community leaders in South Florida.5 The Haitian population could benefit from culturally relevant education about safe sleep through trusted community members.   Primary Setting - Most Haitian community leaders in South Florida are family elders and religious leaders.5 Creating partnerships with them can be impactful for empowering safe sleep practices within this community in a culturally and linguistically competent manner.5 We plan to partner with these leaders, who can disseminate safe sleep information to the Haitian community using community centers such as the Sant La Haitian neighborhood center, Belafonte Tacolcy community center and churches.   Number of Children Affected - SUID is the third leading cause of infant death in the nation at 0.42 per 1,000.6 In Florida, the Infant Mortality Rates (IMR) for Black infants was 2.6 times higher than the IMR for White infants at 11.26 and 4.29 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, respectively. 7 Miami-Dade county is a unique area in Florida given the racial and ethnic diversity, younger population, increased child poverty levels, and higher use of governmental assistance programs.8 Miami-Dade County has had the third highest incidence of SUID of in Florida from 1989 - 2023.2 Haitian infants account for up to 44% of Black infant sleep-related deaths in Broward County, a county in South Florida, between 2013-2018 despite Haitians making up 20% of the Black community. 5,9 These deaths are largely preventable with appropriate education and resources. 5   Project Goal - The goal of this project is to increase safe sleep practices amongst Haitian infants in South Florida.   Proposed Intervention - We plan to develop a linguistically and culturally informed educational curriculum in collaboration with Haitian community leaders to reduce preventable infant sleep-related deaths by empowering community leaders to disseminate and encourage safe sleep practices within their community.      - Partner with Haitian Community Leaders: Train trusted community figures, such as religious and cultural leaders, in safe sleep practices so they can educate others. This approach leverages existing community trust to facilitate behavior change and motivate adherence to health practices.10      - Culturally Relevant Educational Materials: Develop materials in Haitian Creole that reflect cultural beliefs and practices. Tailoring the curriculum ensures inclusivity and enhances engagement. 10      - Community Outreach Programs: Conduct outreach alongside community leaders in local spaces, combining education with resource distribution. Community-based programs are effective in ensuring broader reach and sustainability, as distributing tangible resources like cribs and sleep-safe kits has been shown to increase adherence to safe sleep practices.11   Anticipated Outcomes      - Increased Awareness: Community leaders will demonstrate a measurable increase in safe sleep knowledge, assessed via pre- and post-training surveys.      - Improved Community Engagement and partnership: Leaders will actively engage in outreach activities, increasing the number of families reached and resources distributed and enhancing sustainability.      - Sustained Practices: Families will adopt long-term safe sleep practices.

Project Goal

To increase safe sleep practices amongst the Haitian community in South Florida

Project Objective 1

By the end of Month 3, establish relationships with at least three Haitian community organizations (e.g., Sant La, Injury Free Miami, and local churches) ensuring that these relationships are focused on enhancing safe sleep education and fostering collaboration for the project.

Project Objective 2

By the end of Month 6, recruit and actively engage a minimum of 9 Haitian community leaders—including religious leaders, healthcare professionals, and cultural influencers—to participate in co-building a safe sleep educational curriculum in Haitian Creole that reflects Haitian traditions and cultural practices.

Project Objective 3

By the end of Month 12, conduct workshops for at least 20 community leaders, providing safe sleep supplies and educational resources, to equip them with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively disseminate safe sleep practices within their Haitian communities.

AAP District

District X

Institutional Name

Jackson Memorial Hospital

Contact 1

Lien Morcate, MD, MPH