Promoting child booster seat use: Has no one ever done high-quality research?

Abstract

To the editors: Ehiri et al.1 reviewed interventions aimed at increasing the use of children’s booster seats. They found 1350 reports on child motor vehicle occupant protection, of which 18 dealt specifically with booster seat interventions; they excluded 13 studies due to methodologic weaknesses (largely, the lack of a control group) and discussed the remaining five. In addition to substantive discussion, they made the following methodologic points: 1. Of the five, two did not use randomized assignment. 2. Of the remaining three, one used self-report, not observation, of booster seat use. 3. Of the remaining two, one had a follow-up period of only 2 weeks. 4. The remaining study had a 34% dropout rate of children. Further, control as well as treatment groups were exposed to publicity regarding booster seat legislation. Therefore, conclusions could be generalized only to other situations where there was such publicity.