Assessing Water Safety Attitude and Behavior towards Drowning Prevention among Adolescents in South Region, Malaysia

Abstract

Drowning is a global issue, and preventing drowning is a global challenge. In most industrialized countries, it is the leading cause of death in young children. In Malaysia, based on the 2019 causes of death report, drowning ranked as one of the top five main factors contributing to the mortality rate among individuals aged 15 -40 years old. However, drowning prevention is still a major ignorance because the community perception that drowning is an unavoidable incident. It is important to explore the attitudes and behaviors regarding drowning prevention specifically among adolescents to develop focused interventions and to promote positive water safety culture. This study aims to assess water safety attitudes and behaviors towards drowning prevention among adolescents in South Region, Malaysia. The sample for this study comprised of eighty-five university students (N=85) who were administered a self-report questionnaire consisting of 16 items on water safety attitudes and behaviors. The reliability is between 0.78 and 0.82 across all domains. The findings showed that the adolescents involved in this study have a positive water safety attitude and behaviors towards drowning prevention. Adolescents' favorable attitudes and actions toward the open water environment may have been influenced by the water safety education they received. To enhance understanding and develop effective interventions, more extensive study is required that includes larger sample sizes and encompasses a broader population in Malaysia.