Epidemiology of adulthood drowning deaths in Bangladesh: Findings from a nationwide health and injury survey

Abstract

Background: Annual global death due to drowning accounts for 372,000 lives, 90% of which occur in low and middle income countries. Life in Bangladesh exposes adults and children to may water bodies for daily household needs, and as a result drowning is common. In Bangladesh, due to lack of systemic data collection, drowning among adults is unknown; most research is focused on childhood drowning. The aim of the present study was to explore the epidemiology of adulthood drowning deaths in Bangladesh. Methodology: A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted from January to December in 2003 among 171,366 rural and urban households, with a sample of 819,429 individuals to determine the epidemiology of adulthood drowning in Bangladesh. Results: Annual fatal drowning incidence among adults was 5.85/100,000 individuals. Of these, 71.4% were male and 28.6% were female (RR 2.39). In total, 90% of the fatalities were from rural areas. Rural populations were also found to have a 8.58 times higher risk of drowning than those in urban areas. About 95% of drowning occurred in natural water bodies. About 61.6% of the deaths occurred at the scene followed by 33.5% at the home. Of the drowning fatalities, 67% took place in water bodies within 100 meters of the household. Among the drowning fatalities 78.4% occurred in daylight between 7.00 and 18.00. Over 97% of the victims were from poor socio economic conditions with a monthly income tk. 6,000 ($94) or less. Only 25.5% of incidences were reported to the police station. Conclusions: Every year a significant number of adults die due to drowning in Bangladesh. Populations living in rural areas, especially men, were the main victims of drowning. This survey finding might help policy makers and scientists to understand the drowning scenario among adults in Bangladesh.

Trends in the drowning mortality rate in Iran

“…Precise recording of deaths due to mortality and published reports based on age, gender and jobs, and more importantly recording the changes between mortality rates in different years in Bangladesh, provide the opportunity for multiple programmes to access the efficacy of their programmes on deaths due to drowning specifically in children. The result of those studies supported new methods for reducing drowning, and this study could also be used in a similar way to studies in Bangladesh 30 33–35…”

Medical care-seeking behaviours among drowning casualties: Results from a national survey conducted in Bangladesh

“…Each year in Bangladesh, drowning causes over 17,000 child and 8000 adult deaths; in addition, over 100,000 people suffer from non-fatal drowning. 8 , 10 , 22 The overall national burden of drowning is very high, and its devastating consequences should be prevented. Taking proper decisions about receiving appropriate healthcare is important for reducing the consequences of drowning.…”

“…The majority of deaths occur in natural water bodies. 8 As a result, drowning casualties require emergency medical support. In this study, 69.7% of fatal cases did not receive any healthcare from a healthcare provider before death.…”

“…9 , 10 , 11 Drowning is also a major contributor to adult death in Bangladesh, causing about 8,000 deaths annually. 8 In Bangladesh, drowning accounts for 42% of all deaths among children aged 1–4 years. 9 , 10…”

“… 17 Studies also show that rural people in Bangladesh commonly follow indigenous and harmful practices for non-fatal drowning cases. 7 , 8 The rural population of Bangladesh considers drowning the will of God and not preventable. 19 In LMICs, because of a lack of formal emergency medical services, an estimated 80% of total deaths occur in pre-hospital settings.…”