Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
Child Injury Prevention Alliance, Columbus, OH, USA
Correspondence
Corresponding author. Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205. Tel.: +1 614 355 5850; fax: +1 614 355 5897.
Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
Child Injury Prevention Alliance, Columbus, OH, USA
Correspondence
Corresponding author. Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205. Tel.: +1 614 355 5850; fax: +1 614 355 5897.
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Figures
Fig. 1
Annual number and rate of swimming injuries among individuals 7 years or older treated in US hospital EDs according to year of injury, 1990-2008.
Fig. 2
Swimming injuries among individuals treated in US hospital EDs according to body region injured for all body regions, head and neck, and lower extremity.
Fig. 3
Swimming injuries among individuals treated in US hospital EDs according to type of injury for all body regions, head and neck, and lower extremity.
Abstract
Objective
Swimming is one of the most popular recreational activities in the United States. The objective of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of the complete spectrum of injuries associated with swimming and swimming pools treated in US hospital emergency departments.
Methods
Data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System from 1990 to 2008 were analyzed. Injury rates were calculated using US census swimming participation data.
Results
An estimated 1688924 swimming injuries occurred during the 19-year study, averaging 1 injury every 6 minutes. During the study period, the number of injuries and rate of injury among individuals 7 years or older significantly increased. Within this trend, injuries peaked in 1999 and significantly decreased during the last 10 years but still showed an overall increase of 18.6% in number and 29.3% in rate from 1900 to 2008. Patients 17 years or younger accounted for 60.5% of injuries, and patients 7 to 17 years of age had a greater mean annual swimming injury rate (18.78 per 10000 participants) than patients older than 17 years (9.15). Most injuries occurred in or around a swimming pool (87.0%), and most were soft tissue injuries (54.7%), followed by strains/sprains (16.4%), fractures/dislocations (11.3%), and submersion (4.9%). Injuries to patients younger than 7 years, submersion injuries, and injuries occurring at home were more likely to result in hospital admission or fatality.
Conclusions
The observed increase in injuries among individuals older than 7 years underscores the need for increased prevention efforts, including education about safe swimming practices, supervision, and environmental modifications.
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☆Conflict of interest statement: The authors have indicated that they have no financial relationships or conflicts of interests relevant to this article to disclose.
☆☆Sources of support: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (grant no. 1H75CE001491 ) and a medical student research scholarship from The Ohio State University College of Medicine, which provided a student research stipend for author KAP while she worked on this study.
★Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not represent the official position of the Department of the Army.
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