The Roles of Age, Gender, Inhibitory Control, and Parental Supervision in Children's Pedestrian Safety

Overview

Journal J Pediatr Psychol

Publisher Oxford University Press

Date 2007 Apr 20

PMID 17442691

Citations 34

Authors

Benjamin K Barton

David C Schwebel

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: Thousands of American children are injured or killed each year as pedestrians, but behavioral factors in pedestrian injury etiology remain poorly understood. We examined the roles of children's individual differences (age, gender, and inhibitory control) and parental supervision in children's pedestrian behaviors.

Methods: Using the pretend road method, a sample of 85 children and 26 adults crossed a pretend crosswalk set adjacent to a real road. Safety of crossing the pretend road was determined based on actual traffic on the real road. Adults also crossed the real road.

Results: Adults' behavior on the real road paralleled that on the pretend road, supporting validity of the method. On the pretend road, younger children, boys, and children with less behavioral control engaged in riskier pedestrian behaviors. Children with less behavioral control responded more noticeably to increases in parental supervision.

Conclusion: Results are discussed in relation to children's development and injury prevention.

Citing Articles

Evaluation of a walking school bus program: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Johnson A, Zhou C, Haviland M, Mendoza J Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2024; 21(1):55.

PMID: 38730407 PMC: 11083767. DOI: 10.1186/s12966-024-01602-w.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Efficacy of Virtual Reality Pedestrian Interventions to Teach Children How to Cross Streets Safely.

Morgan C, Stager L, Schwebel D, Shen J J Pediatr Psychol. 2023; 48(12):1003-1020.

PMID: 37665734 PMC: 10733733. DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsad058.

Adolescent Aggressive Riding Behavior: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Prototype Willingness Model.

Zhao S, Chen X, Liu J, Liu W Behav Sci (Basel). 2023; 13(4).

PMID: 37102823 PMC: 10135771. DOI: 10.3390/bs13040309.

How does attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affect children's road-crossing? A case-control study.

Tabibi Z, Schwebel D, Juzdani M Traffic Inj Prev. 2023; 24(4):315-320.

PMID: 36867075 PMC: 10400341. DOI: 10.1080/15389588.2023.2181664.

An Examination of Child Pedestrian Rule Compliance at Crosswalks around Parks in Montreal, Canada.

Cloutier M, Rafiei M, Desrosiers-Gaudette L, Aliyas Z Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022; 19(21).

PMID: 36360662 PMC: 9657980. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192113784.