August 8, 2007
Contact:
Ken Ma
NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5354 Office
954-830-4177 Cell
kennma@nova.edu
NSU Drowning Study: Florida Children at Risk for Drowning
Fort Lauderdale, FL - A Nova Southeastern University study released this week found that young children in Florida are at a high risk for drowning.
From 2000 to 2004, there were 341 unintentional drowning deaths in the Sunshine State for children between the ages of 1 and 4, according to the 51-page study. Drowning deaths in swimming pools, lakes, rivers, canals and beaches outpaced unintentional motor vehicle and unintentional suffocation deaths for children in the same age group.
The Drowning Prevention Practices Pilot Study, which was commissioned by the Florida Department of Health, examined safety practices of backyard swimming pool owners.
“Because of easy access to our numerous beaches, lakes, canals and swimming pools, Florida's children are at a high risk for drowning,” said Deborah Ann Mulligan, MD FAAP FACEP, Director, NSU's Institute for Child Health Policy. “Drowning prevention is a complex issue with no single solution that works in all cases. This critical NSU study produces results that will help policymakers, health professionals and the public to develop best practice drowning prevention strategies that work in the real world.”
Surveys were mailed to 2,000 households with registered pools in pre-selected zip codes in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. These communities were chosen because they had the highest incidences of drowning and nonfatal submersions, as well as the highest number of pools, coupled with the second highest percentage of children under the age of five.
Overall, households with children are more likely to have a pool safety fence installed, the NSU study concluded. Moreover, a higher percentage of Broward pool owners utilize more than one pool safety measure.
“Our findings show that homeowners are making progress to safeguard their swimming pools,” Mulligan said. “But more needs to be done to ensure that every child can safely enjoy water sports.”
The county differences may be due, in part, to the fact that a higher percentage of pools in Miami-Dade were built prior to 2000. That year, state lawmakers enacted pool-safety barrier legislation.
The NSU study found that pool owners are well aware of the drowning risk factors and are advocates of legislating pool safety devices.
The study will be used to expand swim lessons programs and first aid/CPR lessons in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
