Abstract
Australia’s celebration of its public holidays often involves aquatic recreation, frequently mixed with consumption of alcohol, both of which are risk factors for drowning. This study examines how the demographics and circumstances of public holiday drownings compare to the average day drownings. A total population survey (1 July 2002 to 30 June 2017) of unintentional fatal drownings in Australia were extracted from the Royal Life Saving National Fatal Drowning Database. Date of drowning and state/territory of residence were used to determine if the drowning occurred on a public holiday in the person’s place of residence. 4175 persons drowned during the study period. There was a statistically significant difference between the incidence of fatal drowning on public holidays and the other days, with fatal drowning 1.73 times more likely to occur on public holidays (CI: 1.57–1.89). The increased risk of drowning on public holidays should inform the timing and the content of drowning prevention campaigns and strategies.
Highlights
Drowning is a global public health threat, with an estimated number of 372,000 people fatally drowning annually [1]
This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the epidemiology of fatal unintentional drowning in Australia, comparing the frequency and circumstances of unintentional drowning fatalities between public holidays and other days
Cases are cross-referenced with the National Coronial Information System (NCIS) [13] to finalize inclusion based on the cause of death, as well as the causal factors
Summary
Drowning is a global public health threat, with an estimated number of 372,000 people fatally drowning annually [1]. In Australia, on average 281 people fatally drown each year [2], with the common risk factors include being male [3], being an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander [4], alcohol consumption [5,6] and exposure to rivers [7]. Drowning prevention practitioners suspect that drowning risk increases on public holidays, due to the different patterns of leisure [9], the involvement of alcohol [10]. Increased likelihood of travel to unfamiliar locations [11]. This supposition has not yet been tested epidemiologically
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