Background: In the U.S., almost 4,000 persons die from drowning annually. Among those 0-29 years, drowning is in the top three causes of unintentional injury death.
Methods: To describe racial/ethnic differences in drowning rates by age of decedent and drowning setting, CDC analyzed 12 years of mortality data from 1999 through 2010 for those ≤29 years.
Results: Compared to whites, American Indians/Alaska Natives were twice, and blacks were 1.4 times, as likely to drown. Disparities were greatest in swimming pool settings, with drowning rates among blacks aged 5-19 years 5.5 times higher than those among whites.
Conclusions: Drowning rates for black children and teens are higher than those of other race/ethnicities, especially in swimming pools.
Practical application: The practicality and effectiveness of current drowning prevention strategies varies by setting; however, basic swimming skills can be beneficial across all settings and may help reduce racial disparities.
Keywords: Children; Natural water; Swimming pool; Young adults.
Published by Elsevier Ltd.