The epidemiology of road accidents in childhood.

We report the incidence of traffic injuries to children in Montreal: 33.4 per 10,000, 57 per cent pedestrians, 24.5 per cent passengers, and 18.4 per cent bicyclists. Nearly 20 per cent were hospitalized and 1.2 per cent died. One-third had MAIS scores of 2 or more with the highest rate of severe injuries found among pedestrians. Pedestrian and bicycle (but not passenger) injuries in low income areas were four to nine times greater than those in more affluent areas.

A comparison of observed and reported restraint use by children and adults.

The reliability of estimates of automobile restraint use reported by interview is questionable. It is reasonable to assume that some respondents will give a socially desirable response, i.e. a false report about restraint use. To verify this assumption this study compares verbal reports about automobile restraint use with what was actually observed, both for the respondents and and their children. For the children the rate of parental over-reporting was 38% while for adults it was 24%. Additional analyses suggest that the discrepancy between reported and observed use is related to parents' educational level, father's occupation, child's sex and whether the mother works outside the home. However, these relationships differ between parents and their children.

Health care delivery to foster children: a study.

The health of 900 children in foster care was assessed through a review of 257 medical charts and an examination of a subsample of 35 children. Although major handicapping conditions among the children were well cared for, prevention, the care of minor conditions and emotional problems, and overall coordination of care were found to be lacking. On the basis of these findings, the authors propose how health care delivery to foster children can be improved.

Effects of a seat belt law on child restraint use.

Automobile passenger fatalities account for almost 25% of all accidental deaths of children aged 1 to 14 years. Given that child automobile restraint devices provide effective protection against serious injury and death, several jurisdictions have adopted some form of child restraint law. In August 1976, Quebec enacted legislation requiring the use of seat belts by all front seat passengers weighing more than 23 kg. Although the law was chiefly aimed at adults, a series of observations extending throughout six years were performed to assess its impact on children. Prelaw rates showed 6.4% restraint use for children aged 0 to 11 years and 14.7% for drivers. In the year after legislation, rates for both drivers and children more than doubled and had increased to 55.5% and 24.5%, respectively, in 1981. The child's age and parent's use of a seat belt were important factors associated with restraint use among children.

Use of automobile seat restraints by children in two Canadian cities.

A telephone survey was conducted in Montreal and Calgary to determine the extent to which parents use safety restraints for their children in cars, the types of restraints used and the factors associated with such use. Of the combined sample 39% reported that their child regularly used a restraint, and 47% of the children in Montreal and 55% of those in Calgary wore an age-appropriate safety device. Birth order and the child's and the respondent's ages were significantly related to the use of restraints. However, the respondent's use of seatbelts was the factor most likely to affect the rate of use of restraints for children. Although a large proportion of the parents with younger children owned a carseat, one in four did not use it regularly. Parents who did not use carseats believed they were useless or dangerous; many preferred to hold the child in their laps or arms. The seatbelt law in Quebec and the existence of a carseat rental program in Calgary appear to have had some influence on the rate of the use of restraints for children.