Análisis del riesgo de ahogamiento asociado al entorno acuático y competencia natatoria

Abstract

Un alto nivel de natación puede ser un factor protector ante el ahogamiento, sin embargo, esta relación todavía no ha sido empíricamente demostrada, en base al nivel de habilidad y entorno acuático. Este estudio diseñó una matriz de riesgo de ahogamiento en base al análisis probabilístico de un cuestionario respondido por 3.181 participantes. Se analizó la ocurrencia de Estrés/Distrés acuático (EDA) en base a 5 niveles de competencia y tres entornos acuáticos: a) Piscina sin olas ni corrientes, b) Lagos, embalses, ríos y playas sin olas ni corrientes, c) Ríos, playas o piscinas con olas y/o corrientes. Los resultados se expresaron en Odds Ratio (OR). El riesgo de EDA superó el OR de 25 en el entorno más peligroso y se incrementó para todos los escenarios conforme la competencia acuática era peor. Tres de cada cuatro nadadores han sufrido EDA y este evento pudo ser un incentivo para mejorar sus competencias acuáticas.

The “DrownSafe” Project: Assessing the Feasibility of a Puppet Show in Teaching Drowning Prevention to Children and Parents

“…The puppet show emphasized this key concept, highlighting unsupervised access to water as the primary trigger for drowning among young children [4,5,30,31]. Throughout the storyline, the puppet experienced two non-fatal drownings, both of which could have been prevented if parents had been present.…”

“…While some may believe that children carrying floating devices or knowing how to swim might relax their attention, it is crucial to note that knowing how to swim does not render them "drown-proof" [12]. The American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes that parents and caregivers should never-even for a moment-leave children alone or in the care of another child in bathtubs, swimming pools, or open water [4]. The primary preventive strategy is supervision [5,11], defined as direct, hands-on supervision, where adults are within arm's reach of a child [4].…”

“…The play was an adaptation of the children's book "The rat who wanted to learn to swim" ("O rato con as que quería aprender a nadar") [23]. This book pedagogically addresses the most frequent incidents reported in scientific literature to be known causes of child drowning [4,5,10,24] and covers the following topics: the meaning of safety flags on beaches, how to activate emergency services in case of witnessing a drowning, and basic tips for safe bathing (such as the importance of never bathing alone, even when using floating devices). The group of experts adapted the book's messages and scripted the puppet play.…”

“…Following a discussion process based on the focus group technique, 3 questions were eliminated, resulting in a consensus-derived total of 7 questions. Questions Q1 and Q2 were administered before the puppet show to assess the children's aquatic skills according to the classification of Szpilman et al [4] and determine whether the parents' exhibited any significant distractions or lapses in attention during their child's bath at any point. Questions Q3-Q6 were presented both before and after the performance.…”

“…Childhood drowning is a concerning public health problem that affects communities worldwide [1,2], being the third leading cause of global child mortality among children aged 5 and older [3]. Incidents involving children in aquatic environments have multifactorial causes, including lack of aquatic competence, absence of direct supervision, and caregivers' negligence [4][5][6].…”