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Measuring the effectiveness of a car seat program in an urban, level one pediatric trauma center
Ross Budziszewski1, Rochelle Thompson2, Thomas Lucido3
1St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, PA, USA. rbud58@gmail.com.
Insights
Hospital car seat programs significantly boost caregiver knowledge, improving child passenger safety for urban and low-income families. This education is crucial for reducing car accident injuries in vulnerable populations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric safety research
- Public health interventions
- Injury prevention
Background:
- Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) pose significant risks to young children, leading to high injury and mortality rates.
- Proper car seat use is proven to reduce injury severity, but access to education and car seats is limited in low-income communities.
- Urban populations often face disparities in accessing crucial child passenger safety resources.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a hospital-based car seat program.
- To measure the impact of the program on caregiver knowledge in an urban setting.
- To address disparities in car seat education for vulnerable populations.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 200 caregivers participated in a one-hour educational program led by a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST).
- The program included both educational and hands-on components.
- Caregiver knowledge was assessed using a seven-item pre-post assessment, and participants received a car seat upon completion.
Main Results:
- A statistically significant increase in caregiver knowledge was observed post-intervention (p < .001).
- Paired t-test indicated a large effect size (d = 1.27), demonstrating substantial knowledge gains.
- McNemar's Chi-Square analyses confirmed improvements across all knowledge categories (p < .001).
Conclusions:
- Hospital-led car seat programs are effective in enhancing caregiver knowledge, particularly in urban and low-income communities.
- These programs can bridge the resource gap, improving proper car seat usage.
- The findings support the implementation of similar hospital-based initiatives in underserved areas.
Background:
Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) are a significant safety issue in the United States. Young children are disproportionally impacted by car accidents and suffer high rates of injuries and mortality. When used properly, car seats have been found to reduce the severity of injuries. However, individuals from low-income areas often do not have access to education or car seats compared to those in suburban or higher income areas. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to measure the effectiveness of a car seat program in an urban, Level I Pediatric Trauma Center on caregiver car seat knowledge.
Methods:
Caregivers (N = 200) attended a single, one-hour car seat educational program with a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST). The sessions included educational and hands-on components, where caregivers were asked to complete a seven-item pre-post knowledge assessment. For completion of the course, caregivers received a car seat for their child.
Results:
A paired t-test revealed that the workshop significantly increased caregiver knowledge from pre-post: t (199) = - 12.56, p < .001; d = 1.27. McNemar's Chi-Square analyses displayed that caregivers increased in all knowledge categories (p < .001).
Conclusions:
While caregivers in urban areas or in low-income areas may have less access to resources, hospital-led car seat courses can increase knowledge of proper car seat usage in these communities. These findings should be used to establish programs in hospitals in areas where these resources are not readily available to caregivers.
