A maternity hospital-based infant car-restraint loan scheme: public health and economic evaluation of an intervention for the reduction of road traffic injuries.
OBJECTIVE
The results of an infant car-restraint loan scheme and evaluate its cost-effectiveness are presented.


METHODS
The intervention programme was initiated in 1996. Car-restraints, donated by manufacturers, were lent for a six-month period to eligible prospective parents for a modest fee. Specially trained health visitors performed in-person interviews with the participating parents. The data were collected and recorded on a pre-coded questionnaire. Cross-tabulations and multiple logistic regression were performed to analyse the data. Subsequent purchase of a next-stage car restraint, suitable for older children (up to four years of age) was considered as a proxy measure of the success of the programme. This information, along with the detailed operational and financial data collected during the implementation phase of the programme, was used to develop a model to assess the cost-effectiveness of a countrywide intervention.


RESULTS
During a two-year period 188 families participated in a survey. On return of the infant car restraint, 92% of the participants reported proper use of the device and 82% had already purchased the second-stage car restraint. Parental age, gender, or educational status was not predictive of positive parental road safety practices for the newly born, whereas history of parental seat-belt use--as a proxy of personal road safety behaviour--was positively correlated with the likelihood of purchasing a second-stage car-restraint device. The cost-effectiveness ratio varies between 418.00 euro and 3,225.00 euro per life-year saved, depending on whether the modest administrative fee is considered.


CONCLUSIONS
On the basis of plausible assumptions, a loan programme of infant car-restraints was shown to be particularly cost effective.
Kedikoglou
Simeon
S
Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Athens University Medical School, Athens 115027, Greece.
Belechri
Maria
M
Dedoukou
Xanthi
X
Spyridopoulos
Themis
T
Alexe
Delia-Marina
DM
Pappa
Evanthia
E
Stamou
Asimoula
A
Petridou
Eleni
E
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001336:Automobiles; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015370:Infant Equipment / Q000191:economics; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012449:Safety; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000191:economics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires