title: Does office-based counseling of adolescents and young adults improve self-reported safety habits? A randomized controlled effectiveness trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate brief physician advice regarding seatbelt and bicycle helmet use in adolescents and young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 200 patients ages 11-24 years presenting for all visits to a primary care clinic in the Southwestern United States from January 2000 to March 2001. Patients were randomized to control or a single 2- to 3-minute scripted motivational counseling intervention delivered by physicians with an educational brochure and discount helmet coupon. We conducted telephone follow-up evaluation at 3 months. Main outcome measures were self-reported seatbelt and bicycle helmet use assessed on a 4-point Likert scale and attitudes toward these behaviors assessed on a 5-point Likert scale and analyzed by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For the intervention group, mean Likert scores precounseling and postcounseling for self-reported seatbelt use were 1.3 and 1.4, respectively, with a mean difference of .04 (95% confidence interval [CI], -.1 to .2). For self-reported bicycle helmet use, scores were 3.1 and 3.0, respectively, with a mean difference of .1 (95% CI, -.3 to .2). Combined mean Likert scores measuring subject's attitudes about seat belt use were 13.8 and 14.0, respectively, with a mean difference of .2 (95% CI, -.3 to .6). For bicycle helmet use, scores were 20.0 and 20.9, respectively, with a mean difference of .9 (95% CI, -1.4 to 3.3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We were unable to detect a significant improvement in safety behaviors or attitudes by adolescents and young adults after a brief intervention by physicians during routine office visits.
authors.affiliation: The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-0001, USA. rleverence@salud.unm.edu
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Leverence
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Whisler
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Romero-Leggott
authors.forename: Farzana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Harji
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Milner
authors.forename: Judi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Voelz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006260:Head Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011314:Preventive Health Services; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires