Lay summary
The applicant is of Maniapoto and Rereahu descent, has a nursing background and works part-time in health and Maori development project management while undertaking a Master of Health Science degree. This PhD research will use a mixed methods approach (observational and qualitative description) to explore what motivates Maori and non-Maori parents/caregivers in a contemporary context to bed-share with infants; the extent to which bed sharing practices are culturally based (or not); and how a greater understanding of the motivating factors can be used to strengthen and inform approaches to increase the uptake of safer infant sleep practices. Maori babies account for more than half of all Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) and bed sharing occurs in more than half of all SUDI for Maori and non-Maori.