Social and environmental risk factors for accidental drowning of children under five in China

Abstract

Background: Accidental drowning of children under five is a serious problem in China. This study analyzed data on environmental, sociodemographic factors, and primary caregivers of drowned children in order to understand factors that may contribute to this problem. Methods: This study collected information on 563 cases of drowning that appears involving children under five from October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016 in 334 sampling districts in China. Primary caregivers were interviewed one-on-one based on the Drowning Mortality among Children under 5 Questionnaire. Results: The majority of drowned children under five years old were boys, and 71.58% lived within 100 m of a water body. The drownings occurred mainly in ponds, canals, rivers, and wells, while over 90% of these water bodies had no safety measures. There were 28.06% of primary caregivers did not provide full-time care for the children, and 83.13% of them had no knowledge of first aid skills for drowning. Conclusion: Encouraging kindergarten enrollment and providing safety education for children may reduce drowning among children under five years of age. Public water body protection measures should be strengthened to prevent children from drowning. Encouraging primary caregivers to care full-time for their children，and learning first aid skills against drowning could also help reduce fatalities.