Description:
Water-related spinal cord injury (SCI) makes a major contribution to the incidence of traumatic spinal cord injury. The most recent Australian figures show that swimming, diving, surfing or falling into water contributed 9 % of all traumatic SCI [1]. The same figures have been published in the USA [2]. Worldwide, diving is considered the contributing mechanism for SCI for between 2.3 % of SCI cases in South Africa and 21 % in Poland [3]. However, these figures underestimate the real incidence. Some deaths attributed to drowning occur as a result of an unidentified SCI. In almost all circumstances, diving SCI results in permanent tetraplegia [4]
Description:
Introduction/background: Previous University of Ballarat research identified that parents supervise their children with less vigilance at swimming pools than playgrounds, despite the serious consequences potentially associated with inadequate supervision at pools. The closed environment of public pools and the presence of lifeguards may be influential in lowering parental guard. The proposed research project aims to investigate parental supervision at beaches, specifically related to child injury risk and drowning prevention. The research is still in the design phase and the researchers seek input from water safety experts to assist in project development. This session will be interactive, providing ample opportunity for audience members to contribute to discussion. Methods: Following a brief outline of our research to date and current plans for further research, the presenters will invite expert comment from conference delegates regarding study design. It is anticipated that the ensuing discussion will be interesting and stimulating. Discussion: Consequent to this session and the discussion it fosters, the researchers will refine their research plans. The opportunity to receive input from the group of interested and concerned individuals who make up the Water Safety 2008 audience will enhance the proposed research, leading to an improved research project, the findings of which will help water safety stakeholders in targeting their drowning prevention programs. Conclusion: Expert opinion is a recognised process for research design development. Water Safety 2008 provides an ideal forum to enhance the proposed research through interaction with practitioners. In turn, the findings of this research will provide important information to those actively involved in the fight against drowning.
Description:
Introduction/background: Previous University of Ballarat research identified that parents supervise their children with less vigilance at swimming pools than playgrounds, despite the serious consequences potentially associated with inadequate supervision at pools. The closed environment of public pools and the presence of lifeguards may be influential in lowering parental guard. The proposed research project aims to investigate parental supervision at beaches, specifically related to child injury risk and drowning prevention. The research is still in the design phase and the researchers seek input from water safety experts to assist in project development. This session will be interactive, providing ample opportunity for audience members to contribute to discussion. Methods: Following a brief outline of our research to date and current plans for further research, the presenters will invite expert comment from conference delegates regarding study design. It is anticipated that the ensuing discussion will be interesting and stimulating. Discussion: Consequent to this session and the discussion it fosters, the researchers will refine their research plans. The opportunity to receive input from the group of interested and concerned individuals who make up the Water Safety 2008 audience will enhance the proposed research, leading to an improved research project, the findings of which will help water safety stakeholders in targeting their drowning prevention programs. Conclusion: Expert opinion is a recognised process for research design development. Water Safety 2008 provides an ideal forum to enhance the proposed research through interaction with practitioners. In turn, the findings of this research will provide important information to those actively involved in the fight against drowning.
Description:
This study sought to establish home swimming pool design guidelines to minimize risk of diving injury. Using a qualitative design, interviews with representatives of home pool companies were analyzed and common themes were determined. Pool company display centers and advertising materials were also examined. The typical in-ground fiberglass home pool was described by manufacturers as 8 m in length, with a constant gradient of 0.9 m to 1.8-2.0 m deep. Comparisons between this profile and the underwater pathways of young adults in previous studies by the authors showed that if the dives had been performed in this typical pool, impact would have occurred for some dives. Safety features such as depth markings and signage were absent from all pools. We concluded that recreational swimmers with limited diving skills are at risk of diving injury in the typical home swimming pool. Recommendations are provided of strategies that can be implemented by home pool owners to improve pool safety. ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR
Description:
This short report describes a 20-month follow-up of safe diving skills, extending the 8-month retention period previously published in this journal. Thirty-four recreational swimmers with poor diving skills were evaluated before and immediately after a diving skills intervention program. Twenty-two returned for the eight-month follow-up evaluation and 16 returned 20 months post. As with the earlier study, Treadwater, Deck, Block and Running dives were video-recorded, and maximum depth, distance, velocity, entry angle and flight distance were compared. Underwater hand and arm positions were examined. Pre-intervention, a breaststroke arm action before maximum depth occurred in 18% of all dives and 38% of Treadwater dives. This was eliminated post-intervention, improving head protection. The Treadwater dive elicited the greatest mean maximum depth, and ANOVA showed depth for this entry decreased (improved) following intervention and remained shallower at the eight-month and 20-month post follow-ups. The Block dive also became shallower following intervention while the Deck dive remained unchanged. As seven 10-minute skills sessions resulted in shallower dives with safer hand and arm positions, and these skills were retained over a 600 day non-practice period, it is reliable to consider that the inclusion of safe diving skills in learn-to-swim programs can provide a diving spinal cord injury prevention strategy.
Description:
This study investigated diving skill maintenance over an eight-month retention period following an intervention program. Thirty-four recreational swimmers with poor diving skills were measured before and immediately after a diving skills intervention program. Twenty-two returned for follow-up evaluation. Treadwater, Deck and Block dives were video-recorded, and maximum depth, distance, velocity, entry angle and flight distance were compared. Underwater hand and arm positions were examined. Pre-intervention, a breaststroke arm action before maximum depth occurred in 18% of all dives and 38% of Treadwater dives. This was eliminated post-intervention, improving head protection. The Treadwater dive elicited the greatest mean maximum depth, and ANOVA showed depth for this entry decreased (improved) following intervention and remained shallower at follow-up. Deck and Block dives also became shallower following intervention. As seven 10-minute skills sessions resulted in shallower dives with safer hand and arm positions, including safe diving skills in learn-to-swim programs can provide a diving spinal cord injury prevention strategy.
Description:
This study investigated diving skill maintenance over an eight-month retention period following an intervention program. Thirty-four recreational swimmers with poor diving skills were measured before and immediately after a diving skills intervention program. Twenty-two returned for follow-up evaluation. Treadwater, Deck and Block dives were video-recorded, and maximum depth, distance, velocity, entry angle and flight distance were compared. Underwater hand and arm positions were examined. Pre-intervention, a breaststroke arm action before maximum depth occurred in 18% of all dives and 38% of Treadwater dives. This was eliminated post-intervention, improving head protection. The Treadwater dive elicited the greatest mean maximum depth, and ANOVA showed depth for this entry decreased (improved) following intervention and remained shallower at follow-up. Deck and Block dives also became shallower following intervention. As seven 10-minute skills sessions resulted in shallower dives with safer hand and arm positions, including safe diving skills in learn-to-swim programs can provide a diving spinal cord injury prevention strategy.
Description:
Water safety literature has many epidemiological studies, and for high-income countries at least, the demographics and risk factors for drowning are well established. In spite of the introduction of a multitude of measures designed to reduce drowning, a review of current literature shows that to date, evaluations of the effectiveness of water safety interventions are scarce. Worldwide, key stakeholders have implemented various intervention programmes but few have been evaluated. Those which have, typically examine recall of messages rather than changes in skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. At the same time, it should be realised that the impact of interventions on the drowning rate is particularly difficult to measure at least in high-income countries, where drowning is a relatively rare event. Also it seems unrealistic to expect that changes to rates become apparent after a single intervention. To date, home swimming pool fencing appears to be one of the only areas where evidence is available that demonstrates a reduction in drowning figures.
Description:
To study the teacher component of the parent-teacher-learner triad in preschool aquatics and explore compatibility of instructor messages with current drowning prevention beliefs, 133 preschool aquatics instructors were surveyed. Instructors with basic swim teacher accreditation and those with a preschool/infant instructor extension ("Extension") were compared. More Extension instructors selected "safety" as an important outcome (
Description:
To study the teacher component of the parent-teacher-learner triad in preschool aquatics and explore compatibility of instructor messages with current drowning prevention beliefs, 133 preschool aquatics instructors were surveyed. Instructors with basic swim teacher accreditation and those with a preschool/infant instructor extension ("Extension") were compared. More Extension instructors selected "safety" as an important outcome (
Description:
Unintentional injury is a major cause of child mortality and morbidity, with drowning a leading cause of child death. Injury prevention efforts are frequently directed towards making changes to the environment to make it safer or to modifying behaviours in hazardous settings, or a complex interaction of the two. However, not all physical environments can be modified adequately to totally remove risks, or to reduce them to a negligible level. Similarly, not all behaviours of people within those environments can be changed easily to provide the solution to reducing risk. Accordingly, it is now recognised that a multifaceted approach to injury prevention is required. For drowning incidents, particularly in environments that include natural bodies of water, environmental modifications are not always practical or all encompassing of the major risk present. Consequently, additional strategies are needed that focus more on people recognising these hazards and modifying their behaviour accordingly. To date, aquatic studies have identified a number of risk factors for child drowning. Few studies however, have investigated perceptions of the risk of drowning among those engaged in recreational swimming at beaches and/or investigated the association between risk perception and safe swimming behaviour or caregiver supervision of children in aquatic environments. Consequently, the aim of this chapter is to address this knowledge gap. Using a purpose designed questionnaire, caregivers were asked about specific environmental factors which might contribute to their perceptions of the level of child injury/drowning risk. To reflect a comprehensive approach, other non-environmental factors were also considered in the questionnaire. One-hundred and fourteen caregivers, whose supervisory behaviour had been unobtrusively observed, completed the questionnaire. Caregiver demographics; perceptions of injury/drowning risk in different aquatic settings; and factors which contributed to risk perception varied among participants. Responses indicated that drowning risk was considered extreme/high on days when waves were plunging/dumping; waves were >1m; and when strong rips/currents were present. In calmer conditions (spilling waves; ≤1m; no rips/currents), caregivers were significantly more likely to report low/no drowning risk. The majority of caregivers reported that their child was at low risk of drowning in pool environments (public and home) and at flat beaches (patrolled by lifeguards or unpatrolled); moderate risk at lake, dam or lagoon; and patrolled surf beaches; and high risk at unpatrolled surf beaches. Caregivers reported water depth; type of waves; and currents/rips as environmental factors which contributed to their perceived level of risk at the beach, whilst rocks, reefs and headlands; stingers; strong winds; and water temperature were of less importance to them when judging risk. This chapter provides new insight into caregivers’ assessment of child drowning risk in diverse aquatic environments. Increased understanding of caregivers’ risk perception, coupled with understanding of factors which contribute to this perception, may guide future development of caregiver education programs and water safety campaigns which aim to reduce child drowning risk.
Description:
Methods: A six-hour observation of behaviour potentially associated with injury risk was conducted at six public pools and four playgrounds. Supervision and behaviour were quantified using an observational tool based on the Saluja et al.1 model and Morrongiello’s 2 definition of supervision. Infants to 10 year-old children engaged in play and their carers were observed. Child behaviour, corresponding parent supervision, and parental intervention were recorded. Results/Evaluation: Chi-square tests showed higher levels of supervision were associated with specific behaviours in pools and playgrounds. Factors significantly linked to level of parental supervision included child age; parent age; number of children for whom parents were responsible; and in aquatic settings, swimming ability of the child. Discussion: Level of parental supervision differs with children’s play. Despite increased dangers in aquatic environments, parents supervised less at pools than playgrounds highlighting inappropriate parental dependence on lifeguards. Conclusion: Future research examining the relationship between supervision and young children’s risk of drowning at other aquatic environments is required. Attention, proximity and continuity of supervision should be assessed. Findings will enable key water safety stakeholders to further highlight this phenomenon in drowning prevention programs.
Description:
Methods: A six-hour observation of behaviour potentially associated with injury risk was conducted at six public pools and four playgrounds. Supervision and behaviour were quantified using an observational tool based on the Saluja et al.1 model and Morrongiello’s 2 definition of supervision. Infants to 10 year-old children engaged in play and their carers were observed. Child behaviour, corresponding parent supervision, and parental intervention were recorded. Results/Evaluation: Chi-square tests showed higher levels of supervision were associated with specific behaviours in pools and playgrounds. Factors significantly linked to level of parental supervision included child age; parent age; number of children for whom parents were responsible; and in aquatic settings, swimming ability of the child. Discussion: Level of parental supervision differs with children’s play. Despite increased dangers in aquatic environments, parents supervised less at pools than playgrounds highlighting inappropriate parental dependence on lifeguards. Conclusion: Future research examining the relationship between supervision and young children’s risk of drowning at other aquatic environments is required. Attention, proximity and continuity of supervision should be assessed. Findings will enable key water safety stakeholders to further highlight this phenomenon in drowning prevention programs.
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:
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.