Brenner, Moran, Stallman, Gilchrist and McVan, (2006) recommended that "swimming ability be promoted as a necessary component of water competence, but with the understanding that swimming ability alone is [often] not sufficient to prevent drowning" (p. 116). Tradition and expert opinion are no longer enough. Science can now help us select essential competencies. What does research evidence show us about the protective value of specific individual personal competencies? Since the term "water competence'' was coined by Langendorfer and Bruya (1995) and adapted for drowning prevention by Moran (2013), it has gained in use and acceptance. As a construct, it is indeed more inclusive than "swimming skill'' alone for addressing drowning prevention. Our proposed taxonomy of water competencies re-emphasizes the need for a broad spectrum of physical aquatic competencies as well as the integration of cognitive and affective competencies. The purpose of this review article is to a) identify all the key elements of water competence, b) support each recommended type of water competence with examples of research evidence, and c) suggest areas requiring further research.
Little is known about the specific water-safety beliefs, swimming skills, and behaviors that might be associated with beachgoers' perception of drowning risk. New Zealand adult beachgoers (N = 3,371) were surveyed to assess beach swimming frequency, swimming skill, swimming behaviors, and perception of the risk of drowning in five prevalidated scenarios. Thirty-two percent of beachgoers estimated that they could currently swim less than 25 m, 55% reported that they had swum outside lifeguard-patrolled areas, and 26% had swum after consuming alcohol. Young adults and men were more likely to self-report strong swimming skill, more frequent at-risk swimming behavior, and lower perception of drowning risk. High swimming frequency, better self-reported swimming skill, and previous at-risk swimming behaviors were all associated with a lower perception of risk of the case scenarios. Addressing tendencies to overestimate swimming skill and underestimate drowning risk should be focal points of drowning-prevention interventions, especially among young male adults.
This article examines the practical and theoretical knowledge of New Zealand youth, identifies gaps in the understanding of water safety by these same youth, and suggests ways of addressing the shortcomings. A questionnaire was completed by 2,202 youth in a nationwide survey, New Zealand Youth Water Safety Survey 2003. Self-reported swimming, rescue, and resuscitation skills and understanding of small-boat and surf safety were the competencies chosen to evaluate youth skills and knowledge. Many estimated that they could not swim more than 100 m (n = 1,192, 54%) or that they could not perform CPR (n = 939, 43%). When analyzed by gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity, the lack of water-safety knowledge among males, youth from low-socioeconomic-status schools, and Pacific Islands and Asian students was consistent and pronounced. The author discusses the implications of these shortcomings for youth drowning risk and recommends ways to address inequities in the provision of water-safety education in schools.
The 2017 Berlin Concussion in Sport Group Consensus Statement provides a global summary of best practice in concussion prevention, diagnosis and management, underpinned by systematic reviews and expert consensus. Due to their different settings and rules, individual sports need to adapt concussion guidelines according to their specific regulatory environment. At the same time, consistent application of the Berlin Consensus Statement’s themes across sporting codes is likely to facilitate superior and uniform diagnosis and management, improve concussion education and highlight collaborative research opportunities. This document summarises the approaches discussed by medical representatives from the governing bodies of 10 different contact and collision sports in Dublin, Ireland in July 2017. Those sports are: American football, Australian football, basketball, cricket, equestrian sports, football/soccer, ice hockey, rugby league, rugby union and skiing. This document had been endorsed by 11 sport governing bodies/national federations at the time of being published.
The effectiveness of water safety education programs could be strengthened by enhancing risk appraisal and coping skills and counter-acting the tendency of males and younger adults to overestimate their swimming ability and underestimate their risk with regard to drowning.
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