title: Racial differences in child safety restraint use in Tennessee.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the appropriate use of child safety restraints (CSR) in black and white children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional, observational study of drivers of children age 0-10 years involving an on-site vehicle and CSR inspection and brief driver interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were obtained on 244 white and 204 black children; results were stratified by race due to effect modification of race on driver restraint use and CSR use. Twenty four percent of black and 13% of white child passengers aged 4-10 years were completely unrestrained (p=0.003). Of the 168 black and 220 white child passengers aged 0-10 years who were restrained, 64% of black and 58% of white children had inappropriate restraint use. Appropriate CSR use was significantly lower in 4-8 year old passengers compared with appropriately restrained children aged <4 years and 9-10 years (p<0.0001 for both black and white child passengers).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Black child passengers and all child passengers aged 4-8 years are at increased risk of being inappropriately restrained. Educational efforts should address specific barriers to booster seat use in these populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Child and Adolescent Health Research Unit, Division of General Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-2504, USA. veronica.gunn@vanderbilt.edu
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Gunn
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Phillippi
authors.forename: W O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D001334:Automobile Driving; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015370:Infant Equipment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013714:Tennessee; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001741:Black or African American