Child automobile restraints: evaluation of health education.

An experimental design was used to test the effectiveness of three modalities of instruction in pediatricians' offices. Parents in the experimental and control groups were asked if their children wore a car seat restraint on the way to the office. The parents in the experimental group were encouraged to have their children use restraints via one of the following methods: a pamphlet alone; a pamphlet and verbal instruction by the pediatrician; or a pamphlet, verbal instruction, and a brief slide-tape show. The parents were contacted by telephone, mail, or in person two weeks later and asked if their child used a restraint on their last car trip. There were no statistically significant changes in behavior in any of the gourps. Although the group that received all forms of instruction had the highest mean score, the greatest increase occurred with the control group.