Modeling unintentional drowning mortality rates in Thailand, 2000-2009

The objectives of this study were to investigate the pattern of unintentional drowning deaths and to identify the factors associated with drowning deaths in Thailand from 2000 to 2009. Reported death data were obtained from the Bureau of Health Policy and Strategy, Ministry of Public Health. During the period from 2000 to 2009, 41 620 deaths were reported and 1016 deaths were excluded from this study because of unknown place of death. The overall drowning death rate per 100 000 population was 6.3 (9.6 in males and 3.0 in females). The highest death rate was in males aged 0 to 4 years and in year 2006. Males in all age-groups (except in those aged 15-29 years) and females aged 0 to 4 years had higher drowning death rates than the average rate. Death rates in some public health areas in the central, the northeast, and the northern regions and in year 2005 and 2006 were higher than the average rate.