Canadian Drowning Research Helps Shape National Prevention Strategies

In 1991, the Canadian Red Cross, in partnership with the National Association of Coroners and the Canadian Coast Guard, implemented the first population-based injury surveillance system in Canada, and the first surveillance system for risk factors of water-related injury fatalities in the world.

"This is a very important initiative in Canada," stated Michèle Mercier, national manager of swimming and water safety for the Canadian Red Cross. "Never before has such a comprehensive study been undertaken to investigate the causes of drowning and make recommendations for the prevention of drowning fatalities1."

Now with more than 10 years of data to analyze, the Canadian researchers have been able to identify risk factors such as age, gender, alcohol use and swimming ability associated with different water-related activities such as boating, swimming pool use, open-water current swimming and cold water immersion. The long-term analysis has also been used to evaluate the success of water safety interventions and make recommendation for changes in programming.

"Because we have been tracking this data for so long, we know that improvements in child drowning occurred shortly after the introduction of the new research-based Red Cross water safety training and swimming program in the mid-1990s," said Mercier.

In fact, since the 1996 introduction of its newly revised water safety and swimming program," the Canadian Red Cross has seen a decrease in the drowning rates, including a 20 percent decrease in the rate of land and aircraft drowning (i.e. snowmobile accident), a 21 percent decrease for all other drowning and a 25 percent decrease in near-drowning.1

Mercier also noted that since its first water safety program was released in 1946 the drowning rate has decreased from 8 people per 100,000 to 1.5 per 100,000.

Despite these gains, the research also highlights areas where more prevention and educational interventions are needed. For example, the data revealed that the number one activity resulting in drowning was boating, followed by aquatic activities (such as swimming), falls into water during non-aquatic activities (such as playing near unprotected swimming pools), and bathing in a bathtub.2

 

 "A key issue in prevention is the individual's and family's perception of risk for different activities because the actual risk of water-related injury and death per exposure to water tends to be much higher than the public perception," said Mercier. "The lesson for those who train and educate the public is that the first priority must be to discuss risk perception. Only then can we move on to strategies for reducing risk to a sensible and reasonable level in order to avoid injury."

The lesson for those who train and educate the public is that the first priority must be to discuss risk perception. Only then can we move on to strategies for reducing risk to a sensible and reasonable level in order to avoid injury.

"A lot of people think that knowing how to swim is enough to be safe and it isn't," said Mercier. "You need water safety knowledge to go with it and that's where this drowning research comes into play. The Canadian Red Cross water safety program is based on the actual risks that everyday Canadians face."

Mercier believes that aquatic facilities and schools play
major roles in disseminating water safety information to the members of their community and that they are at the fore-front of drowning prevention efforts.

"I would like to see every aquatic facility incorporate overall water safety education into their swim instruction programs
to teach children and their parents about safety related to personal flotation devices, home pools, boating and open water such as lakes and oceans," said Mercier. "It would make such a difference in decreasing water-related injuries and deaths."

Although this research is specific to Canada, much of the findings can be used to educate aquatic professionals in the U.S. about risk factors related to drowning and near-drowning emergencies. To read the complete report on Canadian drowning trends, visit www.redcross.ca/drownings. Additional report modules on boating and fishing will be available on the Website this summer.

1Canadian Red Cross Society © 2006, "Drownings and Other Water Related Injuries in Canada, 1991-2000" Module 1 Overview p.33.

2Canadian Red Cross Society © 2006, "Drownings and Other Water Related Injuries in Canada, 1991-2000" Module 1 Overview p.2-17.

 

Michèle Mercier joined the Canadian Red Cross in 1987 and has managed injury prevention programs at regional, provincial and national levels, including Water Safety, First Aid, Boating Safety and Drowning Research. She has also been actively involved as an advisor and reviewer during national revisions of the Canadian Red Cross First Aid.

 


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