Department of Health Systems Management, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ariel University, 40700, Ariel, Israel.
Beterem - Safe Kids Israel organization, 30 Hasivim St., Kiryat Matalon, P.O.B. 7050, 4917001, Petah-Tikva, Israel.
BMC Public Health. 2023 Sep 2;23(1):1695. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-16671-y.
Drowning is one of the leading causes of death among children and youth worldwide. This study aims to examine differences in the rates of drowning (fatal and non-fatal drowning) among children and youth in Israel stratified by age, sex, sector, place of drowning, and the drowning outcome. In addition, we compared the results of studies reported in other countries in specific age groups based on statistics of about 100,000 drowning cases.
A statistical analysis of 474 drownings between 2008 and 2018 was conducted. All cases refer to youngsters aged 7-17 in the State of Israel. Statistical analysis was performed on data obtained from the Beterem - Safe Kids Israel organization and from the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Disparities between groups within the examined population were analyzed based on gender, sector (Jewish versus non-Jewish), and drowning site.
Of the 474 drownings that occurred during 2008-2018, 38.4% ended in death. 79% of the cases occurred in pools. The Arab minority sector (21.1% of the general population) accounted for 25.1% of all drownings, males accounted for 70.5% of the drowning cases, and the age group with the most drownings (48.5%) was that of 15-17 years. The Jewish population was involved in more than 75% of drownings in places designated for bathing and in more than 83% of all disaster scenarios, whereas the Arab minority was involved in more than 61% of drownings in places not designated for bathing.
The results are comparable to those of other studies worldwide. Boys drown twice as much as girls, mainly in the age group of 15-17. This may be explained by overconfidence in boys and a tendency to overestimate their actual swimming abilities. Most drownings occur in pools. Drowning among the Jewish population occurs mainly in designated bathing sites.
The findings can and, in fact, must be used to inform and educate the younger generation as to the potential dangers involving bathing in designated bathing sites.
溺水是全球儿童和青少年死亡的主要原因之一。本研究旨在检查以色列儿童和青少年溺水（致命和非致命溺水）发生率的差异，按年龄、性别、部门、溺水地点和溺水结果进行分层。此外，我们根据约 10 万名溺水病例的统计数据，比较了其他国家特定年龄组报告的研究结果。
对 2008 年至 2018 年期间发生的 474 例溺水事件进行了统计分析。所有病例均指以色列国 7-17 岁的青少年。统计分析基于来自 Beterem-Safe Kids Israel 组织和以色列中央统计局的数据。根据性别、部门（犹太人与非犹太人）和溺水地点，分析检查人群中各群体之间的差异。
在 2008-2018 年期间发生的 474 例溺水事件中，38.4%以死亡告终。79%的病例发生在游泳池。阿拉伯少数民族部门（占总人口的 21.1%）占所有溺水事件的 25.1%，男性占溺水事件的 70.5%，溺水人数最多的年龄组（48.5%）为 15-17 岁。犹太人在指定游泳场所发生的溺水事件中占 75%以上，在所有灾难场景中占 83%以上，而阿拉伯少数民族在非指定游泳场所发生的溺水事件中占 61%以上。
研究结果与全球其他研究结果相当。男孩溺水的比例是女孩的两倍，主要发生在 15-17 岁年龄组。这可能是由于男孩过于自信，高估了自己的实际游泳能力。大多数溺水事件发生在游泳池。犹太人的溺水事件主要发生在指定的游泳场所。
这些发现可以而且实际上必须用于教育和告知年轻一代有关在指定游泳场所游泳的潜在危险。
