Junglemobile: a mobile injury-prevention program for young children.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the child passenger safety curriculum of the Junglemobile, a traveling injury prevention program for young children.


METHODS
Cross-sectional evaluation with self-controls, convenience sample.


METHODS
School and community events in rural Colorado, Wyoming, and western Nebraska where the Junglemobile participated for the years 2000-2003.


METHODS
Children 11 years of age or younger attending a Junglemobile event.


METHODS
Children were tested on the Junglemobile child passenger safety curriculum. Children 3 to 6 years of age (Group 1) completed a pretest and a posttest. Children 7 to 11 years of age (Group 2) completed a pretest, an immediate posttest, and a 30-day posttest.


RESULTS
Two hundred thirty-seven children in Group 1 completed the pretest, 76% completed both tests. In Group 2, 420 children took the pretest, 55% took all the 3 tests. Group 1 showed significant improvement in the ability to demonstrate the appropriate place to ride in a car, t (179) = -4.06, P < .001. In Group 2, 61% reported always being restrained on the pretest and 73.2% on the 30-day posttest, t(230) = -3.85, P < .001; 85.7% reported being restrained the last time they rode in a car or truck on the pretest; and 93.5% on the 30-day posttest t(228) = -3.38, P < .001. Reported booster seat use increased on 30-day posttest and was greater when parents received an educational brochure (increased approximately 5% without brochure vs 25% with brochure).


CONCLUSIONS
Children can be taught about child passenger safety through the Junglemobile, a simple educational strategy. Parental education significantly modifies booster seat use.
University of Colorado at Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA. Emery.Kathryn@tchden.org
Kathryn D
KD
Emery
Allison P
AP
Hawkes
Vicky
V
Cassabaum
Theresa
T
Rapstine
D001336:Automobiles; D002648:Child; D057207:Child Restraint Systems; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010371:Pediatric Nursing; D010372:Pediatrics; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012449:Safety; D012572:School Health Services; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*