Motivational support and text messages boost proper child car seat use, clinical trial finds
Car seats are an essential safety measure for children when traveling in a vehicle. However, many parents may not always adhere to the recommended guidelines for using car seats for their children. A recent study published in JAMA Network Open found that remote motivational counseling and mobile-based support significantly improved parents’ use of appropriate child car seats.
The intervention included tailored web content, periodic text messages, and personalized feedback on photos parents submitted every four to six weeks showing how their child usually travels in a car. Lead author Michelle Macy, MD, MS, explained that the goal was to help parents connect with their values to protect their child, understand the safety benefits of each car seat stage, and build their confidence in using car seats correctly.
The study included 474 parents with children between 6 months and 11 years old who reported nonadherence to car seat guidelines at baseline. The results showed that parents in the intervention group exhibited guideline adherence 13 percentage points higher than parents who received usual guideline education at the six-month follow-up. After 12 months, guideline adherence was nearly 40 percentage points higher in the intervention group.
Dr. Macy emphasized the importance of the motivational piece combined with personalized education in promoting proper car seat use. Primary care providers could play a crucial role in asking parents open-ended questions about how their child typically travels in a car, offering encouragement as needed, and connecting parents to community resources like child passenger safety technicians.
To further support parents in following the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines on car seats, Lurie Children’s Hospital implemented a system of customized alerts for parents of patients enrolled in MyChart. These alerts provide reminders about the recommended car seat for their child’s age, weight, and height, as well as links to other safety resources.
The study highlights the importance of ongoing education and support for parents to ensure proper child car seat use. By implementing strategies like motivational counseling, mobile-based support, and personalized feedback, we can help improve the safety of children while traveling in vehicles.
