ABSTRACT

The usage and awareness of parents about child car safety seats (CCSS) was evaluated in this study.

Two hundred and fifty parents presented to the pediatric outpatient clinic were included in this study. Research data were derived from 22-questions survey including “socio-demographic features”, “factors affecting CCSS”, “CCSS usage ratio”, “the information about correct usage of CCSS” with one to one interviews. T-test for variance analysis and the significance test of difference between two means were used for continuous variables. Chi-square test was applied for discrete and categorical variables.

Ninety-three point six (93.6%) percent of parents have knowledge about child car safety seats while 80.8% of them using child car safety seat, whereas 12.8% don’t use it. CCSS usage rate was higher in the parents with high level income (p < 0.05). Educational level of parents was also directly proportional with CCSS usage (p < 0.05). Ninety-eight percent of the parents knew the correct placement of CCSS. Fifty-three point five percent of the parents had revised the CCSS appropriately according to child’s age. Change of CCSS was appropriate according to child’s age where the awareness of “need for change” is higher in 800-8.000 TL income group and where the father’s education level is undergraduate (p<0.05). Eighty-eight point six percent of parents knew that CCSS using was a legal obligation. The parents acquired the information about CCSS from internet (37%), from media (33%), and their social network (27%). The ratio of the ones who were informed by a doctor was pretty low (3%).

The increase in education and income level of parents may reduce the child injuries and deaths by increasing the use of CCSS. The knowledge about child safety and CCSS usage should be given to medical students in medical education and to parents in routine childhood visits.

Keywords: Child car safety seats, family, knowledge level, traffic accidents