Increased unintentional drowning deaths in 2020 by age, race/ethnicity, sex, and location, United States

Moreland, Briana; Ortmann, Neil; Clemens, Tessa

doi:10.1016/j.jsr.2022.06.012

Cited by 19 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…There is a lot of literature published on unintentional drowning in high-income countries. Examples of recent epidemiological research shedding light on particular types of drowning from national perspectives include coastal drowning in Australia (Koon et al, 2023), preexisting medical conditions in Canada (Dunne et al, 2022), land motor-vehicle accidents in Finland (Lunetta & Haikonen, 2020), body recovery times in New Zealand (Webber et al, 2020), comparison of nonfatal and fatal cases in Sweden (Claesson et al, 2021) and the influence of COVID-19 pandemic in the United States (Moreland et al, 2022). Australian researchers have been particularly active in drowning-related research.…”

Section: Unintentional Drowningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of postmortem toxicology in drowning investigations

Ojanperä,

Kriikku

2023

WIREs Forensic Science

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Drowning is the third most common cause of unintentional injury death worldwide. In forensic medicine, drowning refers to an event in which the victim dies due to liquid penetrating into the airways or due to submersion in a liquid. Medico‐legal examination of bodies found in water is a challenging task. Establishing proper cause and manner of death requires the joint efforts of the police, medical examiner, and representatives of postmortem toxicology. Information of the circumstances, the victim's individual characteristics and medical background, together with postmortem findings is required. The presence of alcohol and drugs revealed by postmortem toxicology can give insight into the decedent's medical history, drug abuse history, and possible impairment at the time of death. There is ample epidemiological research indicating that alcohol is the most important single contributing factor for fatal drowning, while hypno‐sedative medicines and illicit drugs, especially amphetamines, also appear to pose a risk. Evidence shows that alcohol can be produced postmortem in a submerged body by microbial contamination and fermentation, and this phenomenon is even more significant the higher the water temperature and the longer the submersion time. The reliability of the blood alcohol concentration obtained can be verified in many ways, for example by comparing the ratios of blood, vitreous and urine alcohol concentrations with reference values, or by testing for non‐oxidative ethanol metabolites, the presence of which suggests antemortem alcohol ingestion. Compared to alcohol postmortem changes, very little is known about the long‐term stability of drugs in bodies found in water.This article is categorized under: Toxicology > Analytical Toxicology > Post‐Mortem

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Section: Unintentional Drowningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of postmortem toxicology in drowning investigations

Ojanperä,

Kriikku

2023

WIREs Forensic Science

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“…Drowning death rates are consistently highest among males, non-Hispanic Black or African American (Black), and non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons ( 3 ). After decades of decreasing drowning rates in the United States, drowning rates increased, and racial and ethnic disparities widened after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic ( 4 ). During the COVID-19 pandemic, persons spent more recreational time in or near water, and availability of supervised swimming settings was limited ( 4 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…After decades of decreasing drowning rates in the United States, drowning rates increased, and racial and ethnic disparities widened after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic ( 4 ). During the COVID-19 pandemic, persons spent more recreational time in or near water, and availability of supervised swimming settings was limited ( 4 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vital Signs: Drowning Death Rates, Self-Reported Swimming Skill, Swimming Lesson Participation, and Recreational Water Exposure — United States, 2019–2023

Clemens,

Moreland,

Mack

et al. 2024

MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep.

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Introduction Drowning is the cause of approximately 4,000 U.S. deaths each year and disproportionately affects some age, racial, and ethnic groups. Infrastructure disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, including limited access to supervised swimming settings, might have affected drowning rates and risk. Data on factors that contribute to drowning risk are limited. To assess the potential impact of the pandemic on drowning death rates, pre– and post–COVID-19 pandemic rates were compared. Methods National Vital Statistics System data were used to compare unintentional drowning death rates in 2019 (pre–COVID-19 pandemic onset) with those in 2020, 2021, and 2022 (post-pandemic onset) by age, sex, and race and ethnicity. National probability-based online panel survey (National Center for Health Statistics Rapid Surveys System) data from October–November 2023 were used to describe adults’ self-reported swimming skill, swimming lesson participation, and exposure to recreational water. Results Unintentional drowning death rates were significantly higher during 2020, 2021, and 2022 compared with those in 2019. In all years, rates were highest among children aged 1–4 years; significant increases occurred in most age groups. The highest drowning rates were among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native and non-Hispanic Black or African American persons. Approximately one half (54.7%) of U.S. adults reported never having taken a swimming lesson. Swimming skill and swimming lesson participation differed by age, sex, and race and ethnicity. Conclusions and Implications for Public Health Practice Recent increases in drowning rates, including those among populations already at high risk, have increased the urgency of implementing prevention strategies. Basic swimming and water safety skills training can reduce the risk for drowning. Addressing social and structural barriers that limit access to this training might reduce drowning deaths and inequities. The U.S. National Water Safety Action Plan provides recommendations and tools for communities and organizations to enhance basic swimming and water safety skills training.

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“…The key variables identified in various studies pertaining to fatal drownings include age, sex, location, day, and time of fatal drowning incidents [ 6 , 11 ]. Ethnicity is an important variable in South Africa, as it provides crucial information in terms of risk factors affecting a particular ethnic group [ 12 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A South African Epidemiological Study of Fatal Drownings: 2016–2021

Fortuin

Karangwa²,

Mahlalela³

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Drowning is a serious public health concern. Low-and-middle-income countries are the most affected by drowning, as they carry 90% of the global drowning burden. The purpose of this retrospective epidemiological study is to provide an overview of fatal drownings in South Africa between 2016 and 2021. The data used for the study were obtained from the South African Police Service. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. Statistical analyses included a t-test and chi-square test. The results indicate that the average number of fatal drownings per annum is 1477 in South Africa, with an average drowning rate of 2.54 per 100,000 population for the period 2016 to 2021. The KwaZulu-Natal province had the highest incidence of drowning. The 0–4-year-age group has the highest prevalence of drowning among all the age categories. More males drowned in South Africa compared to females.

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Increased unintentional drowning deaths in 2020 by age, race/ethnicity, sex, and location, United States

Cited by 19 publications

References 15 publications

Role of postmortem toxicology in drowning investigations

Role of postmortem toxicology in drowning investigations

Vital Signs: Drowning Death Rates, Self-Reported Swimming Skill, Swimming Lesson Participation, and Recreational Water Exposure — United States, 2019–2023

A South African Epidemiological Study of Fatal Drownings: 2016–2021

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