Cultural translation: Acceptability and efficacy of a US-based injury prevention in China

Background/Purpose: Belt-positioning booster seat (BPB) use is rising in the United States, due in part to increased access and education. Though rapidly motorizing, Beijing's population has little awareness of or access to BPBs. This study explored the efficacy and acceptability of utilizing a US-developed BPB promotion intervention in Beijing.

Methods: Methods replicated a previously executed US study. Mixed qualitative and qualitative methods elicited behavioral antecedents related to BPB use from parents of children aged 3-8 years, as well as reactions to interventions promoting BPB use. Focus group discussions included provision of a free BPB and education on its use. Participants were contacted six weeks later via telephone regarding use, knowledge and attitudes.

Results/Outcomes: Results revealed marked similarities between both countries in behavioral antecedents to BPB use. As in the US, Chinese participants (n=71) saw child safety as the most important BPB benefit; lack of accurate knowledge about and access to BPBs were parent's most prevalent barriers. A US-designed intervention that provided concrete messages about BPBs' safety benefits was cited as effective in both countries. Compared to an 18% use baseline, 98% of parents in Beijing cited using BPB at six-weeks.

Conclusions: These results demonstrate the possibility of exporting US-designed interventions into a Chinese context when the intervention addresses commonly held behavioral antecedents. An essential step in intervention translation is comparison of the target population to the original population regarding perceived benefits from and barriers to the behavior. Though this method was successful, large scale implementation will require further study.