Child passenger safety: Implementation and evaluation of a virtual educational intervention for parents and caregivers

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this project was to determine how a virtual educational intervention on Child Passenger Safety (CPS) impacts post-intervention knowledge and self-efficacy levels.

Methods: The intervention included watching a video related to CPS and completing a virtual car seat check with a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST). A quantitative pre- and post-test project design was utilized. Self-efficacy was measured using a confidence assessment and knowledge level was measured with a comprehension test. Participants were included if they had access to the internet, were English speaking, and parents or caregivers of children aged 12 years or younger. The program was active between February and April of 2021. Out of 58 individuals who expressed interest in participating in the program, the completion rate was 41 %. There were 24 participants who completed all steps of the intervention with a range in days to completion of 59 days.

Results: A video-based education intervention combined with completing a virtual car seat check with a CPST was shown to have a statistically significant impact on the knowledge and self-efficacy levels surrounding the use and installation of Child Safety Seats (CSSs) by parents and caregivers. There were a total of 34 car seats that were assessed during the virtual car seat checks and results showed that 65.6% of the car seats that were assessed on arrival had at least 1 error present. In whole, there were 34 car seat errors identified by the CPSTs throughout this project timeline.

Conclusions: A video-based educational intervention combined with a virtual car seat check with a certified CPST has a positive impact on the knowledge and self-efficacy levels of participants. The data analysis shows the project was a successful and meaningful intervention to promote improvements in the field of CPS. This study design allows for the implementation of additional resources and supports for CPS within rural areas and at-risk populations and can help to address public health issues related to a lack of resources based on geographic location.

Keywords: Car seat; Child passenger safety technician; Injury prevention; Knowledge and self-efficacy; Parents and caregivers; Virtual education.