Community Medicine Abstracts - College of Medicine and Health ...

Project No. 229 (2006)Water Safety - Drowning Prevention in the Eastern Coast Cities of UAEStudent Authors: Musaab Ali Alhmed Mohd, Anwar Naser Mohd Al-Zaabi, EbrahimHelal Mubarak Al-Zaabi, Abdulla Karami Salem Bin AshourFaculty Supervisors: Dr. P. Barss, Dr. M. Grivna, Dr. R. BernsenAbstract:Objectives: Accidental drowning has devastating consequences. Most of these tragicepisodes could have been prevented with simple precautionary measure. Drowninghas not been reported as a leading cause of death in UAE. Consequently, there hasalso not been much research or interest in this area. A study conducted by a team offaculty and students from FMHS in Al Ain city (2005) concluded that many youths in AlAin city overestimated their swimming ability when measured against their actualcapability of swimming a length or portion of a swimming pool. Only 22 per cent ofself-reported strong swimmers were able to swim one length of a pool. The UAE has700 kilometers of coastline, including 100 kilometers on the Gulf of Oman. It boastssome of the best beaches in the region. Studies regarding drowning incidents andwater safety measures in the east coast cities are lacking.Methods: The study was based in Eastern Coast Cities of the UAE. We conducted aself-administered survey of grade 10 male and female high school students.Results: 377 students have been enrolled in the study; they were male and femalestudents in Eastern Coast Cities schools in the Tenth Grade. Students ranged in agesfrom 14 to 18 years, with 93% between 15 and 17 years. 29% of students haveswimming pools at home. 43% of male students reported that they are strongswimmers. On the other hand, few female students reported to be strong swimmerswith more than half of them non-swimmers. Students also believed that 75% of theirfathers and 2% of mothers are strong swimmers. Regarding relationship betweenswimming ability and distance of swimming ability, most of the students' perceptionsof swimming ability were inaccurate, since if appeared that many students who believethey are strong swimmers were seemingly unable to swim even one length of the pool.This finding has been elucidated by cross tabulating self-reported swimming abilitywith their self-reported ability to swim a full length or less of a swimming pool. Mostlyall students agree that learning swimming is important for children. Only 2% of thestudents think that learning swimming is not important. Although most of the students(36%) of students recommend the parents to be the swimming instructors, 60% ofthem said that schools’ pools are the best place to teach children how to swim. Inspite of that, only 2% had received teaching from a school program and 7% fromanother program. 53% of students moderately or strongly believe that teachingchildren how to swim substitutes for supervision. More than half of students think thatchild drowning is due to careless parents. Lack of safety equipment has also been animportant factor. Quarter of students blamed child or destiny.Conclusion: Drowning is one of neglected causes of unintentional home injury inwhich a devastating result could happen in the form of either death or severe braindamage. Some research has been undertaken in the UAE about this subject. In ourresearch we found a lack in organized swimming program in Eastern Coast Cities ofthe UAE. Most of the children were taught by there parents how to swim. There ishuge difference in practice and belief regarding drowning prevention precautionsamong students. Most of the home swimming pools are not fitted with thestandardized safety precautions such as vertical fence bars and automatically closingand self latching gates.