Alcohol_focused drowning prevention campaigns : what do we know and what should we do now?
- Calverley, Hannah, Petrass, Lauren, Blitvich, Jennifer
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah , Petrass, Lauren , Blitvich, Jennifer
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education Vol. 12, no. 2 (2020), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Alcohol and drugs have been identified as key risk factors for youth (aged 15-24 years) and adult drownings in high-income countries (HIC). Whilst alcohol specific drowning prevention education programs have been developed and implemented, youth continue to be over-represented in drowning statistics, including those linked with alcohol. Therefore, this project aimed to: (i) review and assess all alcohol themed drowning prevention campaigns within HICs; (ii) determine whether the campaign had undergone evaluation for effectiveness; and (iii) provide recommendations to improve the effectiveness of future interventions. For each of the eighty-one HICs identified for the 2019 fiscal year, searches of peer-reviewed literature (through academic databases) and grey literature (through webpages and emails to organisations) were conducted. Twelve alcohol focused campaigns were identified, with only two providing limited information about program evaluation. For most campaigns identified, there was a dearth of information available and therefore assessment of campaign quality was unfeasible. This brief report highlights a lack of alcohol themed drowning prevention campaigns in HIC, and an absence of evaluations on their effectiveness. Implications associated with a lack of program evaluation are discussed and adoption of the recommendations from this brief report should enhance the quality of future research in this area. © 2020 Human Kinetics Publishers Inc.. All rights reserved.
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah , Petrass, Lauren , Blitvich, Jennifer
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education Vol. 12, no. 2 (2020), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Alcohol and drugs have been identified as key risk factors for youth (aged 15-24 years) and adult drownings in high-income countries (HIC). Whilst alcohol specific drowning prevention education programs have been developed and implemented, youth continue to be over-represented in drowning statistics, including those linked with alcohol. Therefore, this project aimed to: (i) review and assess all alcohol themed drowning prevention campaigns within HICs; (ii) determine whether the campaign had undergone evaluation for effectiveness; and (iii) provide recommendations to improve the effectiveness of future interventions. For each of the eighty-one HICs identified for the 2019 fiscal year, searches of peer-reviewed literature (through academic databases) and grey literature (through webpages and emails to organisations) were conducted. Twelve alcohol focused campaigns were identified, with only two providing limited information about program evaluation. For most campaigns identified, there was a dearth of information available and therefore assessment of campaign quality was unfeasible. This brief report highlights a lack of alcohol themed drowning prevention campaigns in HIC, and an absence of evaluations on their effectiveness. Implications associated with a lack of program evaluation are discussed and adoption of the recommendations from this brief report should enhance the quality of future research in this area. © 2020 Human Kinetics Publishers Inc.. All rights reserved.
Examining group differences in emotion regulation strategies and the state and trait anxiety of lifeguards and non-lifeguards in a real-world precompetitive situation
- Calverley, Hannah, Davis, Paul, Harvey, Jack, Mesagno, Christopher
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah , Davis, Paul , Harvey, Jack , Mesagno, Christopher
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education Vol. 12, no. 2 (2020), p.
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- Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate differences, between swimmer-lifeguards and swimmer-non-lifeguards, in trait and state anxiety and emotion regulation techniques in a real-life precompetitive situation with a secondary focus on gender differences. The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Sport Anxiety Scale - 2 and the Mental Readiness Form - 3 were distributed to 100 participants at university swimming competitions in the United Kingdom. Swimmer-lifeguards displayed significantly lower cognitive (p=.03) and somatic state (p=.05) anxiety and cognitive trait anxiety (p=.02) than swimmer-non-lifeguards. Males reported significantly lower levels of cognitive and somatic trait anxiety (p<.01) than females. There was also a gender-group interaction, with male swimmer-lifeguards showing significantly lower somatic trait anxiety than the other groups (p<.03). Males indicated significantly greater use of reappraisal than females (p=.01); no other effects were observed. These results support previous research regarding lifeguard characteristics, however the nature of these qualities and how they originate require further exploration. © 2020 Human Kinetics Publishers Inc.. All rights reserved.
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah , Davis, Paul , Harvey, Jack , Mesagno, Christopher
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education Vol. 12, no. 2 (2020), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate differences, between swimmer-lifeguards and swimmer-non-lifeguards, in trait and state anxiety and emotion regulation techniques in a real-life precompetitive situation with a secondary focus on gender differences. The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Sport Anxiety Scale - 2 and the Mental Readiness Form - 3 were distributed to 100 participants at university swimming competitions in the United Kingdom. Swimmer-lifeguards displayed significantly lower cognitive (p=.03) and somatic state (p=.05) anxiety and cognitive trait anxiety (p=.02) than swimmer-non-lifeguards. Males reported significantly lower levels of cognitive and somatic trait anxiety (p<.01) than females. There was also a gender-group interaction, with male swimmer-lifeguards showing significantly lower somatic trait anxiety than the other groups (p<.03). Males indicated significantly greater use of reappraisal than females (p=.01); no other effects were observed. These results support previous research regarding lifeguard characteristics, however the nature of these qualities and how they originate require further exploration. © 2020 Human Kinetics Publishers Inc.. All rights reserved.
Under the influence : identifying determinants of young adults' involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity to improve drowning prevention efforts
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: BACKGROUND: Young adults are an at-risk group for experiencing an alcohol-related drowning incident. Investigations and drowning prevention efforts have aimed to address young adults’ prevalence in alcohol-related drownings and contribute to understanding their level of risk. Some explanations have concluded young adults’ need for autonomy and independence coincides with their exposure to alcohol and social norm pressures. However, gaps in knowledge remain, specifically young adults’: behaviours, knowledge and attitudes towards alcohol-influenced aquatic activity and the associated risks; and, their awareness and perceptions of alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns. METHODS: This PhD, completed with publications, aimed to address these gaps through four interlinked projects: (i) a systematic review of alcohol education programs to determine evidence-based quality criteria necessary for inclusion in programs to successfully change young adults’ alcohol-related behaviours, knowledge and attitudes; (ii) a program audit of alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns to establish current prevention efforts in high-income countries and areas for improvement; (iii) a survey among young adults from Australia and the United Kingdom to establish their knowledge, attitudes and predictors of intentions and involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activities; and, (iv) interviews to deepen understanding of young adults’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviours relating to alcohol-influenced aquatic activity, their awareness of alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns and their suggestions for improvement. Six publications resulted from this research. RESULTS: Friends influenced frequency of young adults’ involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity, but involvement was dependent on the characteristics of the peer group, self-confidence and risk disassociation. Attitudes were neutral towards alcohol-influenced aquatic activity, but when participants perceived personal control over the risks it was deemed more acceptable. Alcohol-related safety strategies from other contexts (e.g., driving) were applied to aquatic settings, but specific water safety knowledge/education was low. Stronger swimmers, Australian young adults and those who had received alcohol-specific water safety education displayed more knowledge of alcohol and its effects in aquatic contexts. Participants lacked awareness of alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns, and used campaign logos and names to interpret key messages. Little information was available on the alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns identified in the program audit and only two had evidence of evaluation, limiting progress of future prevention efforts. Ten quality criteria identified from evidence-based literature were considered to be necessary for inclusion in alcohol education programs. Programs included in the systematic review which incorporated these criteria were more likely to report success in influencing behaviour changes among the participants. CONCLUSIONS: To decrease the incidence of alcohol-related drowning among young adults, the findings of the projects included within this thesis result in the following recommendations. For enhanced likelihood of successful outcomes, alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns should align campaign design, implementation and evaluation with best-practice literature. The identified influencers on young adults’ involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity, such as their peers, should be incorporated into prevention efforts and appropriate information provided to encourage informed decision making. Alcohol education programs (e.g., drink driving education) should include information about alcohol use in aquatic settings to clarify the risks associated with transferring safety strategies between drinking contexts, and appropriate information should be provided about alcohol consumption in aquatic settings.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: BACKGROUND: Young adults are an at-risk group for experiencing an alcohol-related drowning incident. Investigations and drowning prevention efforts have aimed to address young adults’ prevalence in alcohol-related drownings and contribute to understanding their level of risk. Some explanations have concluded young adults’ need for autonomy and independence coincides with their exposure to alcohol and social norm pressures. However, gaps in knowledge remain, specifically young adults’: behaviours, knowledge and attitudes towards alcohol-influenced aquatic activity and the associated risks; and, their awareness and perceptions of alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns. METHODS: This PhD, completed with publications, aimed to address these gaps through four interlinked projects: (i) a systematic review of alcohol education programs to determine evidence-based quality criteria necessary for inclusion in programs to successfully change young adults’ alcohol-related behaviours, knowledge and attitudes; (ii) a program audit of alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns to establish current prevention efforts in high-income countries and areas for improvement; (iii) a survey among young adults from Australia and the United Kingdom to establish their knowledge, attitudes and predictors of intentions and involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activities; and, (iv) interviews to deepen understanding of young adults’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviours relating to alcohol-influenced aquatic activity, their awareness of alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns and their suggestions for improvement. Six publications resulted from this research. RESULTS: Friends influenced frequency of young adults’ involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity, but involvement was dependent on the characteristics of the peer group, self-confidence and risk disassociation. Attitudes were neutral towards alcohol-influenced aquatic activity, but when participants perceived personal control over the risks it was deemed more acceptable. Alcohol-related safety strategies from other contexts (e.g., driving) were applied to aquatic settings, but specific water safety knowledge/education was low. Stronger swimmers, Australian young adults and those who had received alcohol-specific water safety education displayed more knowledge of alcohol and its effects in aquatic contexts. Participants lacked awareness of alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns, and used campaign logos and names to interpret key messages. Little information was available on the alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns identified in the program audit and only two had evidence of evaluation, limiting progress of future prevention efforts. Ten quality criteria identified from evidence-based literature were considered to be necessary for inclusion in alcohol education programs. Programs included in the systematic review which incorporated these criteria were more likely to report success in influencing behaviour changes among the participants. CONCLUSIONS: To decrease the incidence of alcohol-related drowning among young adults, the findings of the projects included within this thesis result in the following recommendations. For enhanced likelihood of successful outcomes, alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns should align campaign design, implementation and evaluation with best-practice literature. The identified influencers on young adults’ involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity, such as their peers, should be incorporated into prevention efforts and appropriate information provided to encourage informed decision making. Alcohol education programs (e.g., drink driving education) should include information about alcohol use in aquatic settings to clarify the risks associated with transferring safety strategies between drinking contexts, and appropriate information should be provided about alcohol consumption in aquatic settings.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
A systematic review of alcohol education programs for young people : do these programs change behavior?
- Calverley, Hannah, Petrass, Lauren, Blitvich, Jennifer
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah , Petrass, Lauren , Blitvich, Jennifer
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Health education research Vol. 36, no. 1 (2021), p. 87-99
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- Reviewed:
- Description: Numerous education programs have addressed young peoples' alcohol use. To date, no peer-reviewed publication has evaluated the effectiveness of such programs delivered across a range of contexts to change alcohol-related behaviors, attitudes and/or knowledge. This systematic review aimed to identify alcohol education programs addressing young people, and determine whether they changed alcohol-related behavior, knowledge and attitudes; and, ascertain components of successful programs. Studies were identified, guided by the PRISMA review process, from the earliest records until June 2020. Included studies (N = 70) comprised an alcohol education program which focused on young people (15-24 years). Forty programs reported behavior changes, and these programs were the highest quality. Others impacted attitudes and/or knowledge only (n = 12); or reported no impacts (n = 17). Recent programs were more likely than older programs to feature online delivery and report behavior changes. To enhance alcohol education, future programs should include the identified quality criteria, alongside process and long-term outcome evaluations, to better monitor effectiveness. Findings indicated some education programs have capacity to positively change alcohol-related behavior; however, outcome consistency varied even in high-quality programs. Alcohol education programs should be designed alongside health education/promotion models and best-practice recommendations, to improve the likelihood of desirable behavior-related outcomes. © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
- Description: Numerous education programs have addressed young peoples' alcohol use. To date, no peer-reviewed publication has evaluated the effectiveness of such programs delivered across a range of contexts to change alcohol-related behaviors, attitudes and/or knowledge. This systematic review aimed to identify alcohol education programs addressing young people, and determine whether they changed alcohol-related behavior, knowledge and attitudes; and, ascertain components of successful programs. Studies were identified, guided by the PRISMA review process, from the earliest records until June 2020. Included studies (N = 70) comprised an alcohol education program which focused on young people (15-24 years). Forty programs reported behavior changes, and these programs were the highest quality. Others impacted attitudes and/or knowledge only (n = 12); or reported no impacts (n = 17). Recent programs were more likely than older programs to feature online delivery and report behavior changes. To enhance alcohol education, future programs should include the identified quality criteria, alongside process and long-term outcome evaluations, to better monitor effectiveness. Findings indicated some education programs have capacity to positively change alcohol-related behavior; however, outcome consistency varied even in high-quality programs. Alcohol education programs should be designed alongside health education/promotion models and best-practice recommendations, to improve the likelihood of desirable behavior-related outcomes. © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah , Petrass, Lauren , Blitvich, Jennifer
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Health education research Vol. 36, no. 1 (2021), p. 87-99
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Numerous education programs have addressed young peoples' alcohol use. To date, no peer-reviewed publication has evaluated the effectiveness of such programs delivered across a range of contexts to change alcohol-related behaviors, attitudes and/or knowledge. This systematic review aimed to identify alcohol education programs addressing young people, and determine whether they changed alcohol-related behavior, knowledge and attitudes; and, ascertain components of successful programs. Studies were identified, guided by the PRISMA review process, from the earliest records until June 2020. Included studies (N = 70) comprised an alcohol education program which focused on young people (15-24 years). Forty programs reported behavior changes, and these programs were the highest quality. Others impacted attitudes and/or knowledge only (n = 12); or reported no impacts (n = 17). Recent programs were more likely than older programs to feature online delivery and report behavior changes. To enhance alcohol education, future programs should include the identified quality criteria, alongside process and long-term outcome evaluations, to better monitor effectiveness. Findings indicated some education programs have capacity to positively change alcohol-related behavior; however, outcome consistency varied even in high-quality programs. Alcohol education programs should be designed alongside health education/promotion models and best-practice recommendations, to improve the likelihood of desirable behavior-related outcomes. © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
- Description: Numerous education programs have addressed young peoples' alcohol use. To date, no peer-reviewed publication has evaluated the effectiveness of such programs delivered across a range of contexts to change alcohol-related behaviors, attitudes and/or knowledge. This systematic review aimed to identify alcohol education programs addressing young people, and determine whether they changed alcohol-related behavior, knowledge and attitudes; and, ascertain components of successful programs. Studies were identified, guided by the PRISMA review process, from the earliest records until June 2020. Included studies (N = 70) comprised an alcohol education program which focused on young people (15-24 years). Forty programs reported behavior changes, and these programs were the highest quality. Others impacted attitudes and/or knowledge only (n = 12); or reported no impacts (n = 17). Recent programs were more likely than older programs to feature online delivery and report behavior changes. To enhance alcohol education, future programs should include the identified quality criteria, alongside process and long-term outcome evaluations, to better monitor effectiveness. Findings indicated some education programs have capacity to positively change alcohol-related behavior; however, outcome consistency varied even in high-quality programs. Alcohol education programs should be designed alongside health education/promotion models and best-practice recommendations, to improve the likelihood of desirable behavior-related outcomes. © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
- Calverley, Hannah, Petrass, Lauren, Blitvich, Jennifer
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah , Petrass, Lauren , Blitvich, Jennifer
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy Vol. 28, no. 6 (2021), p. 595-605
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Retrospective studies have identified alcohol as a significant risk factor in drownings involving young adults. Few studies have explored this issue, therefore the current contextual understanding of alcohol consumption in aquatic settings is limited. This study used a survey (n = 182) and one-to-one and small group interviews (n = 23) to investigate knowledge and attitudes of United Kingdom and Australian young adults (aged 18–24 years) towards involvement in aquatic activity after consuming alcohol. Findings illustrated a poor level of general and aquatic-specific alcohol knowledge. Australian educated participants, and those self-reporting: stronger swimming competence; and/or completion of alcohol and water safety education; and/or participation in aquatic activity following alcohol consumption, achieved significantly higher knowledge scores. Most reported a neutral attitude, and those with previous experience of alcohol consumption in aquatic settings had more accepting attitudes of this behavior (p < 0.001). The aquatic activity, context and amount of alcohol consumed influenced attitudes. Participants reported a lack of alcohol-focused drowning prevention or water safety education for their age group, and many referred to their upbringing and parents’ behaviors as reference for what was safe. Drowning prevention practitioners should consider these results to ensure young adults understand the risks of consuming alcohol in all aquatic contexts. © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Predicting young adults’ intentions and involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity
- Calverley, Hannah, Petrass, Lauren, Blitvich, Jennifer
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah , Petrass, Lauren , Blitvich, Jennifer
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education Vol. 13, no. 3 (2021), p.
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- Description: Globally, alcohol consumption is a public health issue and a risk factor for drownings among young adults. While studies have identified a prominence of alcohol in youth drownings, little is known about the factors that influence young adults’ involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity. The current study aimed to identify the predictors of young adults’ intention to participate, and past participation, in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity. A reliable and valid survey, informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior, was distributed to young adults (aged 18-24 years) educated in the UK and Australia. Cumulative odds ordinal logistic regressions with proportional odds were conducted to establish predictors. Overall, 182 participants completed the survey. Subjective norms (Wald
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah , Petrass, Lauren , Blitvich, Jennifer
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education Vol. 13, no. 3 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Globally, alcohol consumption is a public health issue and a risk factor for drownings among young adults. While studies have identified a prominence of alcohol in youth drownings, little is known about the factors that influence young adults’ involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity. The current study aimed to identify the predictors of young adults’ intention to participate, and past participation, in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity. A reliable and valid survey, informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior, was distributed to young adults (aged 18-24 years) educated in the UK and Australia. Cumulative odds ordinal logistic regressions with proportional odds were conducted to establish predictors. Overall, 182 participants completed the survey. Subjective norms (Wald
- Calverley, Hannah, Petrass, Lauren, Blitvich, Jennifer
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah , Petrass, Lauren , Blitvich, Jennifer
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Health Promotion Journal of Australia Vol. 32, no. S2 (2021), p. 218-228
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Issue addressed: Alcohol-influenced drowning among young Australians (aged 18-24 years) is a prominent health concern. However, effectiveness of targeted prevention campaigns for this age group is unknown, as this information is not typically published in peer-reviewed or easily accessed grey literature. Accordingly, future campaigns cannot build on prior efforts to address this health problem. Methods: Semi-structured interviews ascertained young Australian adults’ perspectives on preventing alcohol consumption in aquatic settings, and their awareness of appropriate safety strategies and Australian national and state drowning prevention campaigns. Discussions were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed using an interpretative phenomenological approach. Results: Twenty-three individuals (mean age 20.65 years) participated in an interview. Participants had poor understanding of alcohol-focused drowning prevention campaigns and used logos and names to decipher key campaign messages. Education was recommended as the preferred method for prevention, and participants suggested preferences for delivery (eg social media, in schools, humour and shock tactics). The safety strategies discussed appeared to be transferred from strategies used in other contexts, rather than related to the specific risks of aquatic scenarios. Conclusions: Drowning prevention practitioners should ensure transparency and clarity of their campaign names and logos to enhance understanding of the messages. Practitioners should also consider using audience analysis during campaign design, delivery and evaluation, alongside best practice recommendations from literature, to enhance campaign suitability and effectiveness. So what?: Water safety practitioners and policy makers should acknowledge these findings when developing campaigns which address young adults’ lack of awareness of safe aquatic behaviours to encourage a sustained behaviour change. © 2020 Australian Health Promotion Association.
- Calverley, Hannah, Petrass, Lauren, Blitvich, Jennifer
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah , Petrass, Lauren , Blitvich, Jennifer
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Health Promotion Journal of Australia Vol. 32, no. S2 (2021), p. 229-237
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Issue addressed: Young adults are over-represented in alcohol-related drownings in high-income countries; however, little research has investigated their behaviours and decision-making to inform prevention efforts. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 young Australian adults (aged 18-24 years). Questions, informed by previous research, inquired about behavioural practices in aquatic contexts and influences on involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity. Interviews were transcribed verbatim. Thematic and interpretative phenomenological analysis followed. Results: Two main themes: personal and contextual awareness, and the impact of other people affected perceptions and involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity. Perceived control of situations and self-confidence affected how these influences impacted individuals’ involvement. Participants acknowledged some young adults likely overestimate their aquatic abilities. This awareness was not discussed in relation to their own capabilities. Conclusion: Drowning prevention efforts should inform young adults of the dangers of combining alcohol and aquatic activities, and make risks appear more immediate and applicable. Consideration should be given to measuring both perceived and actual aquatic abilities within various aquatic environments, to determine whether self-reported perceived competence is an accurate proxy measure for actual aquatic ability. The influence of alcohol should also be highlighted. Steps are required for a positive shift in Australian norms of alcohol use in aquatic settings and the social and cultural attitudes towards this. So what?: This study provides new insight into young adults’ perceptions and involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity. It enhances the evidence base for drowning prevention and health promotion practitioners and should inform more focused campaigns to prevent alcohol-related drownings among young Australian adults. © 2021 Australian Health Promotion Association
- Duke, Charlotte, Calverley, Hannah, Petrass, Lauren, Peters, Jacqui, Moncrieff, Kate, Konjarski, Loretta, Matthews, Bernadette
- Authors: Duke, Charlotte , Calverley, Hannah , Petrass, Lauren , Peters, Jacqui , Moncrieff, Kate , Konjarski, Loretta , Matthews, Bernadette
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Injury Epidemiology Vol. 10, no. 1 (2023), p.
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: Globally, drowning is a leading cause of unintentional injury and death among children. Teaching aquatic competencies (swimming skills and water safety knowledge) to children has been proposed as a prevention strategy. In Australia, however, many children are not meeting standard aquatic competency benchmarks. Exploration of the connection between demographic and background factors and aquatic competencies could provide insight into why differences in acquisition of aquatic knowledge and skills occur. Main body: A systematic literature review guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses was performed to identify studies that reported on the association between demographic and background factors and aquatic competencies. Nine databases were searched for English language peer-reviewed studies published since 2000. Fourteen studies fulfilled all inclusion criteria. Studies were quasi-experimental or cross-sectional in design, which is considered quality level III-2 or IV, respectively, on the National Health and Medical Research Council Evidence Hierarchy. Study quality was moderate, and risk of bias was high. While aquatic competencies can be taught, this review found that factors including age, gender, geographic residence, medical conditions/disabilities, socioeconomic status, and swimming frequency were significantly associated with the demonstration and/or acquisition of aquatic competencies. Conclusion: This review provides insight into demographic and background factors that are significantly associated with the development of aquatic competence. Whilst further investigation is required to increase the evidence base, these findings may assist in tailoring swimming and water safety programs to accommodate those at-risk of not achieving age-appropriate aquatic competencies. © 2023, Columbia University Center for Injury Epidemiology and Prevention.
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