Ensuring the safety of school age passengers

Interventions to increase children's booster seat use: a review

BACKGROUND

In children aged 4 to 8 years, booster seats are estimated to reduce by 59% the odds of sustaining clinically significant injuries during a motor vehicle crash, compared to using ordinary vehicle seat belts. Given the safety benefits of booster seats, public health and traffic safety agencies recommend their use for children aged 4 to 8 years traveling in motor vehicles, until the vehicle seat belt can fit them properly. Despite these benefits, booster seat use remains low. Interventions aimed at promoting the use of booster seats for children aged 4 to 8 years have been implemented, but there is little evidence regarding their effects.

METHODS

The Cochrane methodology was used to assess the effects of interventions to increase booster seat use for children aged 4 to 8 years. The reviewers searched online databases, scanned reference lists, hand-searched journals, and contacted relevant agencies and researchers for both randomized controlled trials and controlled before-and-after evaluation studies. The search concluded in 2005 and was not restricted by publication status or language.

RESULTS

The search yielded 1350 potential studies. Of these, five studies involving 3070 individuals met the inclusion criteria. Interventions were generally effective in increasing booster seat use among children aged 4 to 8 years. Education paired with incentive or distribution programs produced more consistent results than education-only interventions that targeted parents, children, or both.

CONCLUSIONS

Incentives or the distribution of free booster seats combined with education increase the use of booster seats.

Interventions for promoting booster seat use in four to eight year olds traveling in motor vehicles

BACKGROUND

Public health and traffic safety agencies recommend use of booster seats in motor vehicles for children aged four to eight years, and various interventions have been implemented to increase their use by individuals who transport children in motor vehicles. There is little evidence regarding the effectiveness of these interventions, hence the need to examine what works and what does not.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness of interventions intended to increase acquisition and use of booster seats in motor vehicles among four to eight year olds.

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched the Cochrane Injuries Group's Specialized Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE (January 1966 to April 2005), EMBASE (1980 to April 2005), LILACS, Transport Research Databases (1988 to April 2005), Australian Transport Index (1976 to April 2005), additional databases and reference lists of relevant articles. We also contacted experts in the field.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomized and controlled before-and-after trials that investigated the effects of interventions to promote booster seat use.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. Study authors were contacted for additional information.

MAIN RESULTS

Five studies involving 3,070 individuals met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. All interventions for promoting use of booster seats among 4 to 8 year olds demonstrated a positive effect (relative risk (RR) 1.43; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.05 to 1.96). Incentives combined with education demonstrated a beneficial effect (RR 1.32, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.55; n = 1,898). Distribution of free booster seats combined with education also had a beneficial effect (RR 2.34; 95% CI 1.50 to 3.63; n = 380) as did education-only interventions (RR 1.32; 95% CI 1.16 to 1.49; n = 563). One study which evaluated enforcement of booster seat law met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis, but demonstrated no marked beneficial effect.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Available evidence suggests that interventions to increase use of booster seats among children age four to eight years are effective. Combining incentives (booster seat discount coupons or gift certificates) or distribution of free booster seats with education demonstrated marked beneficial outcomes for acquisition and use of booster seats for four to eight year olds. There is some evidence of beneficial effect of legislation on acquisition and use of booster seats but this was mainly from uncontrolled before-and-after studies, which did not meet the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis.