No abstract

The role of individual and sociocultural factors contributing to drowning risk for young adults is complex and poorly understood. This study examined the relationship between behaviour in and around waterways and: 1) alcohol consumption; 2) resistance to peer influence; 3) sensation-seeking; 4) perception of risk among people aged 15–24 in Western Australia. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted at three time-points with a convenience sample. Predictor variables included: Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test Consumption (AUDIT_C); Resistance to Peer Influence; Brief Sensation Seeking scale; Benthin’s Perception of risk. Pearson chi-squared tests determined the association between demographic and predictor variables. Logistic regression explored influence of potential predictor variables on behaviour in and around water. The final sample (n = 730) participants, consisted of females (n = 537, 74.5%), metropolitan dwelling (n = 616, 84.4%), and attended university (n = 410, 56.9%). Significant associations were found for those who swum after drinking alcohol compared with those that had not by age, gender, education. For every 1-unit increase in AUDIT-C participants were 60% more likely to swim after drinking (OR 95% CI 1.60 1.44–1.78). Participants who considered an adverse event serious were 15% less likely to have swum after drinking alcohol (OR 0.85 95% CI 0.73–0.99). The complex relationship between social participation in activities in and around waterways, higher drowning rates, propensity for risk, and the meaning young adults attach to risk locations and practices present unique challenges for drowning prevention research. Findings should be used to improve the awareness and education components of future youth water safety strategies in high-income settings.

Objectives Drowning is a public health challenge. Children of migrants may be at increased risk as parents may be unaware of local water safety issues. This study explores differences between Australian-born and migrant parents in Western Australia for: (1) swimming ability; (2) supervision; (3) water familiarisation; and (4) cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training. Methods A cross-sectional survey of parents and carers of children aged under 5 years residing in WA (n = 1506) captured demographics, knowledge of appropriate supervision, water safety knowledge and skills. Logistic regression was conducted. Results Migrants were significantly less likely to identify adequate supervision (p = 0.004); have participated in child water familiarisation programmes (p = 0.000); or perceived themselves as able swimmers (p = 0.000). Significantly less migrants had also undertaken CPR training (p = 0.000). Conclusions Findings add to the small but growing body of literature highlighting the importance of tailored drowning prevention strategies for migrants in countries such as Australia with a strong aquatic culture.

Issue addressed: Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-directed pedagogy that promotes critical thinking, self-directed learning and communication skills essential for health promotion students and practitioners. This paper reports on student results, student evaluation and staff experience of PBL in the face-to-face and fully online environment in an undergraduate health sciences unit in an Australian university.Methods: A single time-point study using quantitative and qualitative administrative student data (2014-2020) and narrative reflection from teaching academics (n = 5) was undertaken. Descriptive, independent t test and bivariate analyses for student results data were conducted; an inductive approach was used to analyse qualitative data and create codes.Results: Student sample (n = 472) consisted face-to-face (n = 358, 75.8%) and online (n = 114, 24.2%) enrolments. Final Unit Mark was significantly higher for fully online students compared with face-to-face students in 2018 (P = .007) and 2019 (P = .001).

No abstract

Adult drowning is a complex and multifactorial public health challenge requiring community, national and global efforts to mitigate impacts. This study updates the evidence base for public health interventions that address adult fatal and non-fatal drowning. A systematic review was undertaken of the peer-reviewed literature for English-language primary studies published between 2011 and 2021describing a drowning intervention with adults. Twenty-two studies were included. Most studies (n = 16) were conducted in high-income countries. Yearly trends in drowning prevention intervention publications were analysed with 2015 (n = 6) the peak publishing year. Over half of the study designs were pre-post (n = 15). Intervention duration ranged from 4 hours to 11 years. Ten studies described either behaviour change theory or formative evaluation to inform design. Thirteen studies targeted interventions at a population level, seven at a group level and two at individual level. Studies identified a range of prevention strategies, categorised as behavioural (n = 9) (e.g., swimming lessons), socio-ecological (n = 8) (e.g., mandatory personal flotation devices) and mixed (n = 5) (e.g., awareness campaign and barriers to prevent access to water). A range of outcomes were described including changes in awareness, water safety knowledge, attitudes, water safety behaviours and skills, environmental, policy and regulation changes and drowning rates. Findings indicate a small but important increase in the evaluation and publication of effective interventions to prevent adult drowning. The complexity of the issues surrounding drowning requires multi-strategy and context -specific adult focused prevention interventions. Contemporary evidence that identifies effective interventions that contribute to prevention efforts is an essential first step in addressing the challenge.

No abstract

Fatal drowning events are often reported in news media. In Australia news articles are a key source of health information. Media exposure has been shown to influence people’s health behaviours and helps to set the public agenda. This study examines coverage of fatal drowning events in newspapers, in Western Australia (WA).WA coronial data were collected for age, gender, location and description of fatal event for two time periods: 1 December to 31 March 2015 and 2016 (southern hemisphere summer). A three-step approach was utilised to capture corresponding news articles: (1) Media Alert monitoring reports; (2) Google News; and (3) Factiva. A coding protocol extracted: newspaper name, print/digital, page news angle, and population group, responsibility for the drowning event and drowning prevention, event outcome and prevention strategies.A final sample comprised 50articles (60% print and 40% digital). Articles matched 17 individual fatal drowning events, almost half (n=23) related to one toddler drowning incident. Stories rarely appeared on page 1 (n=2), but were in the first 2–10 pages 20/50 (66.6%). Celebrating ‘lives lost’ with testimonials was a common news angle (22%). There were 18 mentions of potential drowning prevention strategies, swimming between the flags was most frequently nominated (n=4). Drowning experts were cited 12 times in 18 news articles.This study found drowning events were considered newsworthy by WA news outlets, however focussed on the personal characteristics of the deceased and did not use the opportunity to put drowning prevention at the top of the public agenda. The paucity of page one stories suggests drowning is not high on the news agenda. Drowning prevention experts were only consulted or quoted sporadically. We must take the opportunity to better engage news media outlets to increase the dissemination of drowning prevention messages.