 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Shannon D. Morris1, Irene Chen, PhD1, and Flaura K. Winston, MD, PhD2. (1) TraumaLink, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th & Civic Ctr. Blvd, 3535 Traumalink-10th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 215-590-1238, morriss@email.chop.edu, (2) TraumaLink, 34th & Civic Center Blvd, 3535 Traumalink- 10th Fl, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Purpose: To describe recent trends in child restraint practice in the US to assess the overall success of outreach efforts.
Methods: A probability sample of 9,199 child occupants aged 8 years and under in crashes involving insured vehicles in three large US regions, from 12/01/98 to 5/31/02, was assessed. Data were collected via insurance claim records and telephone survey. Reported child restraint and seat belt usage rates by age for Time Period 1 (12/1/98 – 12/31/2000) were compared with those for Time Period 2 (1/01/2001 – 5/31/2002).
Results: During Time Period 1, more than 85% of children age 2 and under, were restrained in CSS, but by age 3, 55% of children were in CSS (29% were in booster seats; 15%, in seat belts). By age 4, CSS use and belt-positioning booster seat use was 25% and 25%, respectively, with the remainder in seat belts. Virtually no children over age 5 were in belt-positioning booster seats. During Time Period 2, CSS use for children age 2 and under remained high (88%) while CSS use for 3 year olds increased to 76%. A substantial minority of children ages 4 and 5 remained in CSS and belt-positioning booster seat use was present through age 8 years.
Conclusions: The emphasis on appropriate child restraint use for older children had a significant impact on child restraint use patterns in the US. Educational efforts aimed at promoting booster seat use by children over the age of 4 appeared to “raise the bar” for all children.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Injury Prevention, Motor Vehicles
Related Web page: www.traumalink.chop.edu
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.