Miguel Hernández University, Avinguda de la Universitat d'Elx, s/n, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain; University of the Republic, Parque batlle s/n, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Sports Research Center, Miguel Hernández University, Avinguda de la Universitat d'Elx, s/n, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain.
J Safety Res. 2024 Jun;89:181-189. doi: 10.1016/j.jsr.2024.02.011. Epub 2024 Mar 10.
Drowning is 1 of the 10 leading causes of death due to unintentional injuries in children and adolescents worldwide. Knowing how to swim has been traditionally associated with water safety. However, its conceptualization may vary across studies, leading to different measurements and effects on the risk of drowning. This review sought to understand the current state of scientific evidence associating both issues.
To identify conceptualizations of knowing how to swim and to analyze the evidence indicating whether "knowing how to swim" may be a protective or a risk factor for unintentional drowning in children aged 10 to 14 years.
A systematic review of observational etiology studies was conducted, considering original peer-reviewed research published up to the year 2020. Databases including PubMed, Cochrane Central, Tripdatabase, Science Direct, Epistemonikos, Bvs and Bireme were searched for studies associating swimming skills as a risk or a protective factor for drowning (10-14 years). Study quality was assessed, and quantitative data were synthesized (without performing a meta-analysis).
A total of 6,508 results were identified, with only 6 studies meeting the criteria for inclusion in the final cohort. It was evidenced that the exclusive possession of swimming skills, without a concurrent understanding of water safety, is associated with increased exposure to aquatic environments. Consequently, this may increase the risk of drowning.
Among children aged 10 to 14 years, there is insufficient evidence regarding whether knowing how to swim serves as a protective factor against drowning compared to not knowing how to swim.
The insufficiency of evidence and a lack of consensus in the conceptualization of swimming as a form of knowledge underscores the need for further research. Such research is crucial for informing investments in drowning prevention interventions, particularly during early adolescence.
溺水是全球 10 大导致儿童和青少年非故意伤害死亡的原因之一。传统上，会游泳与水上安全相关。然而，其概念在不同的研究中可能有所不同，导致对溺水风险的测量和影响也不同。本综述旨在了解将这两个问题联系起来的现有科学证据状况。
确定会游泳的概念，并分析表明“会游泳”是否可能是 10-14 岁儿童意外溺水的保护因素或危险因素的证据。
对观察性病因研究进行了系统综述，考虑了截至 2020 年发表的原始同行评审研究。检索了包括 PubMed、Cochrane Central、Tripdatabase、Science Direct、Epistemonikos、Bvs 和 Bireme 在内的数据库，以查找将游泳技能与溺水风险（10-14 岁）相关联的研究。评估了研究质量，并对定量数据进行了综合分析（未进行荟萃分析）。
共确定了 6508 项结果，只有 6 项研究符合最终队列纳入标准。有证据表明，仅拥有游泳技能，而没有同时了解水上安全知识，会增加接触水生环境的机会。因此，这可能会增加溺水的风险。
在 10-14 岁的儿童中，关于会游泳是否比不会游泳更能起到防止溺水的保护作用，证据不足，且概念上也没有共识。
证据不足以及对游泳作为一种知识形式的概念缺乏共识，强调需要进一步研究。此类研究对于为溺水预防干预措施的投资提供信息至关重要，尤其是在青少年早期。
