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A comparative analysis of child passenger restraint use in China and the United States
Jing-Zhen Yang1,2, Li-Ping Li3, Hong-Qian Wu4,5
1The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Center for Injury Research and Policy, Columbus, OH, USA.
Insights
Child passenger safety is critically low in Shantou, China, with only 0.1% of young children properly restrained compared to 95.9% in Iowa, USA. This highlights a significant need for child restraint legislation in China.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Transportation Safety
- Pediatric Medicine
Background:
- Limited international research exists on child passenger safety practices.
- This study addresses this gap by comparing child restraint use in Iowa, USA, and Shantou, China.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the prevalence and factors associated with child passenger restraint use in children aged 0-17.
- To inform potential child safety legislation in China.
Main Methods:
- Observational study of child restraint use in Iowa and Shantou in 2012.
- Data collected via direct observation and brief driver surveys at selected locations.
- Observations conducted at gas stations in Iowa and schools/clinics in Shantou.
Main Results:
- 95.9% of 0-3 year olds were compliantly restrained in Iowa vs. 0.1% in Shantou.
- Front seat positioning was higher for young children in Shantou (36.0%) than Iowa (1.7%).
- Driver seat belt use correlated with child restraint use, more strongly in Iowa.
Conclusions:
- Shantou, China, exhibits significantly lower appropriate child restraint use compared to Iowa, USA.
- Findings underscore the urgent need for mandatory child safety restraint legislation in China.
Background:
Few published studies have examined child passenger safety practices across countries. This study compared the prevalence and associated factors of child passenger restraint use among children, aged 0 to 17 in the state of Iowa in the United States, and the city of Shantou in China.
Methods:
Child restraint use observations were conducted in Iowa and in Shantou in 2012, respectively, among child passengers. Observations in Iowa were conducted at randomly selected gas stations, while in Shantou observations were completed at randomly selected schools or medical clinics. Research observers approached the driver, observed restraint use, and collected brief survey data.
Results:
A total of 3049 children from Iowa and 3333 children aged 0 to 17 years from Shantou were observed. For children aged 0 to 3 years, only 0.1% were compliantly restrained in Shantou as compared to 95.9% in Iowa. The proportion of children who were compliantly restrained in Shantou increased with age, but generally decreased with age in Iowa. In Shantou, 36.0% of children aged 0 to 3 were sitting in the front seat as compared to only 1.7% of children of the same age in Iowa. Driver seat belt use was significantly associated with child restraint in both Iowa and Shantou; the association was stronger in Iowa than Shantou for all age groups.
Conclusions:
A significantly higher prevalence of children who were not appropriately restrained was observed in Shantou than in Iowa. Our findings support the need of mandatory child safety restraint use legislation in China.
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