Abstract

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2018, 634 children were killed in traffic accidents. One-third of children killed in car accidents are not restrained properly in the vehicle. Improper car seat use in infants and toddlers results from a lack of knowledge from guardians regarding car seat safety usage. Therefore, education from providers is vital to the health and safety of all children. According to these statistics, car seat safety is a large public health concern and needs to be addressed more often. Even though there are many factors related to traffic accidents, studies show that correct car seat usage drastically decreases fatality in children. The researchers in this study utilized a descriptive, non-experimental, quantitative design to determine guardian knowledge of car seat safety recommendations. The research further sought to determine whether healthcare providers were educating patients on the proper car seat safety recommendations. The questionnaire utilized in this study was developed by researchers. The NHTSA recommendations were used in creating the survey. The survey contained three sections of multiple-choice questions. The first section included five demographic questions, and the second section included six knowledge-based questions. The last section included five questions regarding personal practices and car seat education. A convenience sample of 604 participants was obtained. Findings revealed that 72.5% of guardians were knowledgeable regarding the correct use of car seats; however, over half (51.8%) of participants were rarely or never educated on car seat recommendations by their healthcare providers. Results of this study can be utilized to improve guardian’s knowledge and healthcare provider education regarding car seat safety recommendations.

Degree

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Department

Graduate Nursing

Degree Date

2021

First Advisor

Dr. Beth Turner

Second Advisor

Dr. Teresa Hamill

Third Advisor

Dr. Sueanne Davidson

Document Type

Thesis

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