HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response View responses View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (11) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Pickett, K. E. Articles by Lauderdale, D. S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Pickett, K. E. Articles by Lauderdale, D. S. Related Collections Epidemiology Health Promotion Birth Outcomes Other Race/Ethnicity Socioeconomic Factors Mortality

Kate E. Pickett, PhD, Ye Luo, PhD and Diane S. Lauderdale, PhD

Kate Pickett is with the Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, England. Ye Luo is with the Population Research Center at the National Opinion Research Center and the University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill. Diane Lauderdale is with the Department of Health Studies, University of Chicago.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to: Kate E. Pickett, PhD, Department of Health Sciences, Seebohm Rowntree Building, Area 3, University of York, Heslington, York, Y010 5DD, England (e-mail: kp6{at}york.ac.uk).

Objectives: In 1994, the US Public Health Service launched the "Back to Sleep" campaign, promoting the supine sleep position to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Studies of SIDS in the United States have generally found socioeconomic and race disparities. Our objective was to see whether the "Back to Sleep" campaign, which involves an effective, easy, and free intervention, has reduced social class inequalities in SIDS.

Methods: We conducted a population-based case-cohort study during 2 periods, 1989 to 1991 and 1996 to 1998, using the US Linked Birth/Infant Death Data Sets. Case group was infants who died of SIDS in infancy (N = 21 126); control group was a 10% random sample of infants who lived through the first year and all infants who died of other causes (N=2241218). Social class was measured by mother’s education level.

Results: There was no evidence that inequalities in SIDS were reduced after the Back to Sleep campaign. In fact, odds ratios for SIDS associated with lower social class increased between 1989–1991 and 1996–1998. The race disparity in SIDS increased after the Back to Sleep campaign.

Conclusions: The introduction of an inexpensive, easy, public health intervention has not reduced social inequalities in SIDS; in fact, the gap has widened. Although the risk of SIDS has been reduced for all social class groups, women who are more educated have experienced the greatest decline.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K Moussa, P O Ostergren, M Grahn, A E Kunst, F Eek, and B Essen Socioeconomic differences in smoking trends among pregnant women at first antenatal visit in Sweden 1982-2001: increasing importance of educational level for the total burden of smoking Tob. Control, April 1, 2009; 18(2): 92 - 97. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Gornall Does cot death still exist? BMJ, February 9, 2008; 336(7639): 302 - 304. [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. K. Singh and M. D. Kogan Persistent Socioeconomic Disparities in Infant, Neonatal, and Postneonatal Mortality Rates in the United States, 1969-2001 Pediatrics, April 1, 2007; 119(4): e928 - e939. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. R. Colson, S. Levenson, D. Rybin, C. Calianos, A. Margolis, T. Colton, G. Lister, and M. J. Corwin Barriers to Following the Supine Sleep Recommendation Among Mothers at Four Centers for the Women, Infants, and Children Program Pediatrics, August 1, 2006; 118(2): e243 - e250. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. E. Hunt and F. R. Hauck Sudden infant death syndrome. Can. Med. Assoc. J., June 20, 2006; 174(13): 1861 - 1869. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

eLetters: