Exploring visitation at rivers to understand drowning risk

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Injury Prevention

Background:

• Rivers are a significant location for drowning incidents globally and the leading site for fatal drownings in Australia.
• There is a lack of comprehensive data regarding exposure levels and their impact on river drowning risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the risk of unintentional fatal river drowning in Australian adults by accounting for population exposure.
• To analyze variations in river drowning rates based on sex, age, activity, alcohol presence, and watercraft use, adjusted for exposure.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Australian unintentional fatal river drowning data from coronial records (2014-2016).
• Incorporated nationally representative survey data on river visitation to estimate exposure.
• Calculated and compared drowning rates per 100,000 population and exposed population.

Main Results:

• 151 fatal river drownings occurred between 2014-2016, with 86% being male and 40% aged 18-34.
• After exposure adjustment, males were 7.6 times more likely to drown. Female drowning rates increased by 50%.
• Highest risk groups identified as males aged 75+ and females aged 55-74. Swimming, recreating, alcohol presence, and watercraft incidents were high-risk factors.

Conclusions:

• Exposure adjustment is crucial for understanding river drowning risk, as it significantly impacts the perceived differences between sexes.
• While males remain at higher risk, the disparity lessens when accounting for exposure, necessitating nuanced drowning prevention strategies.
• Findings underscore the importance of considering diverse river usage patterns and exposure levels in public health interventions to mitigate drowning fatalities.