Statement of purpose It is recommended that children over age eight continue to use a booster seat until they fit properly into an adult seatbelt. ‘Boost ‘em in the Back Seat’ is a video intervention informing parents about this recommendation and is empirically supported to increase booster seat use. The present study aimed to evaluate key elements of the video.

Methods/Approach Parents participated in one of two study arms: virtual focus groups (3 groups, n = 23) or an online survey (n = 28); both examined knowledge of booster seat recommendations and perceptions of the ‘Boost ‘em in the Back Seat’ video. All participants viewed the video and provided feedback. Qualitative data from both study arms were analyzed using NVIVO software and common theme analysis, and descriptive survey data were analyzed using SPSS.

Results Almost half of survey parents (42.9%) were unaware of current booster recommendations. Thematic analysis revealed that parents found the narrative approach of the video impactful. Parents preferred male expert’s perspectives, found some medical language too technical, and had mixed reactions to the realistic crash scene. Parents felt the length of the video (4-minutes) was too long, but felt that the novel information, seeing the incident from the mother’s viewpoint, inclusion of local talent/settings, and the cinematography distinguished the video from others.

Conclusions Parents find the ‘Boost ‘em in the Back Seat’ video impactful and provided helpful feedback regarding how the video could be modified such as excluding certain actors, shortening the introduction, and using less technical language.

Significance Parent feedback was helpful in determining which elements of the video are essential for persuasive effect. This will inform how to best translate the message to other uses, such as static media or a shorter video, as we continue to work toward improving child occupant protection.