Objective: To estimate the use, during transport by car, of restraint/booster seats by children of 6-12 years old in Florence.
Design, setting and participants: To examine children's use, knowledge and behaviors regarding safety devices in cars, a questionnaire has been administered to 537 students attending 17 primary schools in Florence, during their visit to an area equipped for street education. Sociodemographic data (nationality, level of education and parents' work) have been collected as well to assess the socioeconomic membership. Collected data have been analyzed using SPSS 17.0. Chi squared test has been used to evaluate differences in the frequency of distribution of the use of safety devices by available variables. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions have been used to calculate the degree of association among the modes of transport and the available variables.
Main outcome measures: Prevalence of use of restraint/booster seats, risk of having been incorrectly transported.
Results: 39.1% children, during the last travel, has been correctly transported, i.e. on the booster seat with fastened seat belt, 38.0% only with fastened seat belt and 22.9% free.The risky behaviors were not so much related to socioeconomic indices, but rather to some geographical variables and parents' nationality (especially of the mother).Children whose parents were both Italian were more frequently transported correctly compared to foreigners. We also observed peculiar and different modes of transport within specific ethnic minorities.
Conclusions: It is necessary to design and implement interventions aimed at promoting interventions for improving safety for the whole population, but with specific safeguarding social and territorial specificities as regards to territory and ethnicity.