The long-term goal of the present research program is to enhance the utilization of evidence-based injury prevention strategies and to encourage medical practitioners to disseminate focused information regarding injury prevention in the Pediatric Emergency Department (ED). This study examines the Pediatric Emergency Department as a location for increasing safe car seat practices by parents who are not restraining their children appropriately in motor vehicles. Three different intervention will be tested to determine their effectiveness in increasing safe car seat practices. The proposed research plan: 1. examines the efficacy of a Brief Motivational Intervention to enhance automobile safety restraint-specific injury prevention behaviors in parents/caregivers of younger children; and 2. examines the efficacy of focused, behavior-specific, injury prevention discharge instruction supplements (Enhanced Standard Care) in increasing safety restraint-specific injury prevention behaviors in parents/caregivers of younger children. We will conduct a randomized, controlled trial of parent/caregivers of children being evaluated in the Hasbro Children's Hospital Emergency Department in Providence, Rhode Island. Eligible, consenting participants will be screened with an injury assessment tool for inappropriate use of motor vehicle child safety restraints. High risk participants will be randomized into three intervention groups: Standard Care (SC), Enhanced Standard Care (ESC) and Brief Motivational Intervention (BMI). All participants will then be contacted three months following enrollment and surveyed regarding child safety restraint practices, attitudes and knowledge. The following main effects will be evaluated with relation to child safety restraint practice and attitude change: 1. Intervention (SC vs. ESC vs. BMI); 2. Injury status of child (Injured vs. non-injured). In addition, we will monitor re-injury rates of the index children of all enrolled parent/caregivers for one year from the time of enrollment and compare on the bases of the above main effects.
This study examines the Pediatric Emergency Department as a location for increasing safe car seat practices by parents who are not restraining their children appropriately in motor vehicles. Three different intervention will be tested to determine their effectiveness in increasing safe car seat practices: usual emergency department care; provision of printed materials; and a brief motivational intervention in the emergency department.