The association between hands-on instruction and proper child safety seat installation.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if hands-on instruction in child safety seat (CSS) installation decreases the number of errors in installation.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Primary care offices, emergency department, CSS checkpoint.


METHODS
Parents of children <2 years old receiving medical care or attending a CSS check.


METHODS
Errors in CSS use. Results. Only 6.4% of parents had a correctly installed CSS. Hands-on instruction was associated with fewer errors in seat installation. Increased parent age, completion of college, and having private insurance were also associated with fewer errors in CSS placement. The majority of parents learned to install seats from reading the manual, from friends and relatives, and from figuring it out on their own.


CONCLUSIONS
Errors in CSS installation are a significant problem. Hands-on instruction decreases the numbers of errors in CSS installation. However, few parents receive hands-on instruction from experts in CSS installation. Increases in correct CSS use could result from hands-on education by trained professionals.
Lane
W G
WG
Department of Pediatrics and Preventive Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland.
Liu
G C
GC
Newlin
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015370:Infant Equipment; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010290:Parents; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires