Predictors of parents’ use of child restraint systems: Evidence from China

Abstract

Objective Child restraint systems (CRS) can significantly lower the chance of child harm and death. Despite the benefit of CRS, their use in developing countries is low. Therefore, examining the factors that affect parents’ use of CRS is essential. Methods In this study, the associations of demographic characteristics and the exogenous constructs in the health belief model (HBM) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) with parents’ CRS use were investigated with structural equation modeling. Results Demographic factors alone explained 23.1% of the variance in CRS use. The model’s explanatory power increased greatly when exogenous constructs were incorporated from the HBM and TPB. Having a college degree, knowledge about CRS, perceived susceptibility, self-efficacy, and attitude significantly impacted parents’ use of CRS. Conclusions The use of CRS in China is still low. Much effort should be done to increase the use of CRS in China, including education, and publicity.