Unsafe Infant Sleep Imagery in Retail Marketing: An Assessment of Spokane County Stores
Faculty Mentor
Rumyana Kudeva
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-14-2026 2:00 PM
End Date
4-14-2026 4:00 PM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Public Health
Abstract
It is well documented that marketing imagery influences consumer beliefs and behaviors. It is also known that infant sleep position and environment are contributors to infant safety and overall risk of death. Despite widespread public health messaging promoting safe sleep practices, retail marketing continues to depict infant sleep environments that conflict with the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) guidelines for safe sleep. For this project, we assessed the frequency of unsafe infant sleep imagery on product packaging and in-store marketing displays in Spokane County retail settings. A comprehensive list of Spokane County stores selling infant sleep-related products (defined as intended to be slept on, worn during sleep, or placed in infant sleep spaces) was developed. Infants were defined as being under one year of age per AAP classification. A standardized evaluation tool assessed store type, total sleep-related imagery, frequency and characteristics of unsafe depictions per AAP guidelines, image location and commonly recalled products. Stores were selected and evaluated between January and March 2026. Descriptive statistics will be compiled following the completion of evaluations. We estimate that 25% of observed imagery will on average depict unsafe sleep practices across all settings. We expect to see higher rates of commonly recalled products and unsafe displays in second-hand and infant specialty stores compared with department chain stores. Findings will inform public health education strategies, retailer engagement, and future research on how infant sleep-related images influence consumers.
Recommended Citation
McMeen, Claire and Franklin, Dannyl, "Unsafe Infant Sleep Imagery in Retail Marketing: An Assessment of Spokane County Stores" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 34.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/ps_2026/p3_2026/34
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Unsafe Infant Sleep Imagery in Retail Marketing: An Assessment of Spokane County Stores
PUB NCR
It is well documented that marketing imagery influences consumer beliefs and behaviors. It is also known that infant sleep position and environment are contributors to infant safety and overall risk of death. Despite widespread public health messaging promoting safe sleep practices, retail marketing continues to depict infant sleep environments that conflict with the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) guidelines for safe sleep. For this project, we assessed the frequency of unsafe infant sleep imagery on product packaging and in-store marketing displays in Spokane County retail settings. A comprehensive list of Spokane County stores selling infant sleep-related products (defined as intended to be slept on, worn during sleep, or placed in infant sleep spaces) was developed. Infants were defined as being under one year of age per AAP classification. A standardized evaluation tool assessed store type, total sleep-related imagery, frequency and characteristics of unsafe depictions per AAP guidelines, image location and commonly recalled products. Stores were selected and evaluated between January and March 2026. Descriptive statistics will be compiled following the completion of evaluations. We estimate that 25% of observed imagery will on average depict unsafe sleep practices across all settings. We expect to see higher rates of commonly recalled products and unsafe displays in second-hand and infant specialty stores compared with department chain stores. Findings will inform public health education strategies, retailer engagement, and future research on how infant sleep-related images influence consumers.
