New Zealand beachgoers' swimming behaviours, swimming abilities, and perception of drowning risk

Abstract

Little is known about the water safety beliefs, swimming skills, and behaviors that might be associated with beachgoers’' perception of drowning risk. New Zealand adult beachgoers (N = 3,371) were surveyed to assess beach swimming frequency, swimming skill, swimming behaviors and perception of the risk of drowning in five pre-validated scenarios. Thirty-two percent of beachgoers estimated that they could currently swim less than 25 m; 55% reported that they had swum outside lifeguard-patrolled areas, and 26% had swum after consuming alcohol. Young adults and men were more likely to self-report strong swimming skill, more frequent at-risk swimming behavior, and low perception of drowning risk. High swimming frequency, better self-reported swimming skill, and previous at-risk swimming behaviors were all associated with a lower perception of risk of the case scenarios Addressing tendencies to overestimate swimming skill and underestimate drowning risk should be focal points of drowning-prevention interventions, especially among young male adults.