Background Poor knowledge of restraint use, and ensuing lower levels of age-appropriate and correct restraint use are common among children whose families speak a language other than English at home in NSW Australia. Behaviour change theories suggest that knowing best practice may not be enough to change behaviour.

Aims/Objectives/Purpose To identify intervention elements for optimising restraint practices among children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in NSW.

Methods A semi-structured discussion was held in 11 language specific focus groups in Arabic, Assyrian, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese and Turkish. Pre-existing community groups were used to recruit participants (n=72). Translated transcripts were analysed using the major concepts of the IBCM.

Results/Outcome Restraint use intent among CALD community carers depends how they perceive their child's safety. Child restraint legislation and enforcement appears to increase parental self-efficacy, however concerns over child comfort may negatively influence parental motivation to comply. Large family size, vehicle size and restraint cost are real environmental constraints in some CALD communities. The government is seen as the most credible information source.

Significance/Contribution to the Field Key messages in interventions targeting CALD communities should be the same as those targeting the mainstream, as determinants of restraint use intent are the same regardless of the population. However, for CALD communities there is a specific need to ensure access to detailed information through appropriate delivery strategies and languages. Furthermore, strategies to address practical constraints are particularly important elements for interventions targeting CALD communities.