Seat-belt use by trauma center employees before and after a safety campaign.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether employees of a regional trauma center wore seat belts any more often than did visitors to the medical center and residents of the state. To demonstrate whether an intensive safety campaign would improve seat-belt compliance among trauma center employees. To determine the duration of improvement.


METHODS
Hospital employees and visitors were observed as they exited the medical center's parking ramps over a 3-month period.


RESULTS
After a hospital-wide seat-belt campaign, employee compliance rose by 7.5%, to 81.5% at 14 days, but fell back to preintervention levels at one month (76.7%) and 3 months (77%) after the intervention.


CONCLUSIONS
An intensive seat-belt safety campaign resulted in only modest and transient improvement in the rate of seat-belt use.
Scheltema
Karen E
KE
Research and Education, Health East Care System, St Paul, MN 55104-3727, USA. kschelte@mninter.net
Brost
Susan M
SM
Skager
Geraldine A
GA
Roberts
David J
DJ
D000328:Adult; D001519:Behavior; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D012449:Safety; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014193:Trauma Centers; D000078329:Workforce