Give Me A Boost: A Child Passenger Safety Educational Intervention

Area of Science:

• Pediatric medicine
• Public health
• Injury prevention

Background:

• Motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) are a major cause of child injury and death.
• Underutilization of belt-positioning booster seats is a significant concern.
• Primary care settings offer opportunities for child passenger safety (CPS) education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a provider-oriented CPS educational intervention.
• To assess the impact on pediatric residents' confidence, knowledge, and counseling practices.
• To address the underutilization of booster seats by improving provider education.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey design was used, with pre- and post-intervention assessments.
• Pediatric residents completed surveys on CPS knowledge, confidence, and counseling frequency.
• The intervention focused on provider education regarding CPS recommendations, including booster seats.

Main Results:

• Before the intervention, only 16% of residents felt confident in their knowledge of booster seat recommendations.
• Post-intervention, there was a significant increase in the frequency of CPS discussions.
• Residents showed improved confidence and knowledge across all measured CPS aspects after the intervention.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric residents possess the potential for effective CPS counseling but often lack foundational knowledge, particularly on booster seats.
• Brief educational interventions are effective in enhancing and sustaining provider knowledge and confidence in CPS counseling.
• Improving provider education can lead to better guidance for families on appropriate child car safety seats.