ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Health Education and Promotion
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1540451
Using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) Framework to Evaluate a State-wide Safe Infant Sleep Education Program for Continuous Improvement
Provisionally accepted
Carolyn R Ahlers-Schmidt1,2*
Christy Schunn3
Ashley M Hervey1,2Maria Torres3Stephanie Kuhlmann1Zachary Kuhlmann1- 1School of Medicine Wichita, University of Kansas Medical Center, Wichita, United States
- 2Center for Research for Infant Birth and Surivival, Wichita, United States
- 3Kansas Infant Death and SIDS (KIDS) Network, Wichita, United States
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Introduction: The Kansas Infant Death and SIDS (KIDS) Network facilitates a two-day conference certifying Safe Sleep Instructors to provide standardized trainings based on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Safe Sleep Recommendations. Within one-year of certification, Safe Sleep Instructors are tasked with a) disseminating safe sleep education to 10 professionals or parent/caregivers; and b) hosting one Safe Sleep Community Baby Shower or 10 Safe Sleep Crib Clinics. Methods: A retrospective study was implemented to assess the impact of the Safe Sleep Instructor certification program using data from participants trained in Fiscal Year 2022. Data was assessed using the RE-AIM framework and aspects of the Kirkpatrick Evaluation Model. Reach and Effectiveness were evaluated at the conference, as were Kirkpatrick Reaction and Learning. Adoption and Implementation, and Kirkpatrick Behavior, were assessed through post-conference activities. Maintenance was measured based on Safe Sleep Instructor recertification the following year. Results: Results suggested the Safe Sleep Instructor certification was successful in terms of Reach, Effectiveness, Implementation and Maintenance, and Kirkpatrick Evaluation Model. Adoption was less than expected. Conclusion: Utilizing dissemination and implementation science allowed for identification of strengths and limitations regarding the Safe Sleep Instructor program promoting the AAP Safe Sleep Recommendations. Modification to program requirements and expectations, post-conference support for activities, and increased ability to tailor to community needs may enhance Adoption efforts. In addition, Safe Sleep Instructors must have capacity, resources, expertise, and institutional support. Future studies are needed to assess characteristics that impact Adoption to enhance promotion of the AAP Safe Sleep Recommendations.
Keywords: RE-AIM framework, implementation science, Safe sleep education, Suid, Sudden unexpected infant death, Sleep-related death
Received: 05 Dec 2024; Accepted: 28 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ahlers-Schmidt, Schunn, Hervey, Torres, Kuhlmann and Kuhlmann. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Carolyn R Ahlers-Schmidt, School of Medicine Wichita, University of Kansas Medical Center, Wichita, United States
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