The nature of caregiver supervision of young children in public pools
- Authors: Petrass, Lauren , Blitvich, Jennifer
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education Vol. 6, no. 1 (2012), p. 11-23
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- Description: This study examined the level of caregiver supervision when children were engaged in active play at public pools. A six-hour unobtrusive observation period was conducted at six different indoor aquatic venues with caregivers accompanying children aged < 10 years eligible to be monitored. Child behavior, corresponding caregiver supervision, and the willingness of parents to intervene when children exhibited unsafe behaviors all were considered. Environmental factors and pool conditions were also recorded. Chi-square tests illustrated that increased supervision was associated with decreased incidents and lower risk behaviors. Supervision was significantly affected by child and caregiver age, number of children for whom caregivers were responsible, and child swimming ability. The nature of caregiver supervision in aquatic settings requires further investigation to enable the development of effective programs to address poor supervision practices. © 2012 Human Kinetics, Inc.
Unobtrusive observation of caregiver-child pairs at public pools and playgrounds: Implications for child unintentional injury risk
- Authors: Petrass, Lauren , Blitvich, Jennifer
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education Vol. 7, no. 3 (2013), p. 204-213
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- Description: This study aimed to determine and compare the nature of supervision children received in two settings that have different levels of environmental risk, an aquatic setting (public pools) and a nonaquatic setting (playgrounds). An observational design was implemented to examine caregiver and child behaviors at six indoor public pools and four playgrounds. Chi-square tests of homogeneity were conducted to determine associations between caregiver and child variables. Preschool children received significantly higher levels of supervision than school-aged children in both settings. For school-aged children the level of supervision varied between settings, with children significantly more likely to be unsupervised in public pools and poorly supervised on playgrounds. Reasons for the lack of supervision in aquatic settings remain unclear, particularly as this setting was considered to present higher environmental risk, because drowning rates are high for young children. Because evidence indicates inadequate supervision is common in aquatic settings, further investigations are required to identify ways to promote closer supervision practices and determine caregiver perceptions regarding their responsibilities when supervising young children in aquatic settings.
- Description: C1