Assessing Pediatric Resident's Attitudes, Barriers and Behaviors Related to Child Passenger Safety

Injuries incurred in motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of pediatric mortality and long-term disability in the United States (US). Appropriate use of child passenger restraints, ranging from infant carrier seats for the youngest children to booster seats for older children, reduce the risk of injury by more than 45% and death by 25%. High parental knowledge around appropriate child restraint recommendations (i.e. age and size limits) is strongly associated with increased use. Furthermore, pediatricians are routinely cited by parents as trusted sources for information on child passenger safety (CPS). Deficiencies in the teaching of pediatric injury prevention are widely acknowledged across US medical schools and residency programs. Limited research exists assessing the knowledge deficiencies and barriers to education of parents on CPS topics, as reported by US pediatric residents. In this study, physicians enrolled in pediatric residency programs across the US were sent an internet-based survey via email, assessing their perceived and actual knowledge about CPS as well as their barriers and self-efficacy related to providing anticipatory guidance about CPS. The survey identified significant knowledge gaps around all types of child restraints, as well as limitations in the resident's perceived self-efficacy to provide anticipatory guidance. Pediatric residents cited these deficits as the primary barrier to providing guidance to their parents of their patients. This data supports the integration of improved education on child passenger safety within pediatric resident curricula topics and the need for further emphasis on child passenger safety as part of routine anticipatory guidance by resident preceptors.