Evaluation of a community-based intervention to promote rear seating for children.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the short-term effect of a community-based effort to promote child rear seating in a low-income Hispanic community.


METHODS
Child seating patterns were observed pre- and postintervention at intersections in 1 intervention and 2 control cities. Brief interviews assessed exposure to program messages.


RESULTS
Child rear seating increased from 33% to 49% in the intervention city (P <.0001), which represented a greater increase than that in the control cities (P <.0001). The greatest improvement was observed in relatively higher-income areas. Rear seating was significantly correlated with reported program exposure. Incentives and exposure to the program across multiple channels seemed to have the greatest effect.


CONCLUSIONS
Independent of legislation, community-based programs incorporating incentives can increase child rear seating.
Greenberg-Seth
Jennifer
J
Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Hemenway
David
D
Gallagher
Susan S
SS
Ross
Julie B
JB
Lissy
Karen S
KS
D001334:Automobile Driving; D019058:Community Networks; D006293:Health Promotion; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D015370:Infant Equipment; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D011203:Poverty; D014481:United States