Shaping global strategy, mobilising for local action: reflections from the World Conference on Drowning Prevention 2023.

Drowning is a significant cause of preventable mortality and morbidity and has been described as a serious, preventable and neglected public health challenge. Amid building momentum for drowning prevention, most notably with recent United Nations and World Health Assembly Declarations, researchers, policymakers and practitioners convened at the World Conference on Drowning Prevention (WCDP) 2023 under the conference theme of 'shaping a global strategy - mobilizing for local action'. In this special feature, we reflect on the outcomes of the WCDP 2023.

Provision of basic swimming and water safety skills in low-resource environments: barriers and facilitators of use of WHO practical guidance.

Introduction: WHO guidance supports implementation of drowning prevention interventions. This study aimed to examine barriers and facilitators of use of WHO guidance on basic swimming and water safety skills in low-resource settings, gathering insights inform codesign of technical resources.

Methods: Mixed methods were used comprising WHO guidance gap analysis, participant surveys and thematic analysis of workshop discussions (17 participants and 13 countries).

A qualitative analysis of parents' beliefs about portable pool safety behaviours.

The aim of this study was to develop an in-depth understanding of the beliefs parents hold regarding portable pool safety behaviours using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents ( = 15) of children aged 5 years and younger who owned a portable pool. Interviews examined three key safety behaviours: supervising within arms' reach, fencing portable pools deeper than 30 cm, and emptying and storing portable pools safely after use.

Burden of unintentional drowning in Indonesia: insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

Introduction: A high burden of unintentional fatal drowning has been reported in low- and middle-income countries. However, little is known about unintentional drowning in Indonesia.

Methods: This population-based retrospective cohort study analysed unintentional drowning data for Indonesia sourced from The Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

Pilot Evaluation of a Co-Designed Gamified Farm Injury Prevention Educational Resource for Adolescents.

Objectives: Adolescents are at-risk of fatal and non-fatal injuries in the farm environment. School-based agricultural safety and farm injury prevention education is likely to be more effective when utilizing co-designed and gamification principles; however, this needs to be tested. This study examined data from a pilot evaluation of a co-designed farm injury prevention gamified educational resource for adolescents.

Burden of unintentional drowning in China from 1990 to 2019 and exposure to water: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study.

Background: Drowning is an important contributor to the burden of deaths in China. Exposure to open water is a risk factor for drowning, but few studies quantify its impact on drowning. The purpose of this study was to provide an up-to-date analysis of unintentional drowning in China, including impact of exposure to open water.

Interventions that address interpersonal violence experienced by adolescents globally: a systematic review of reviews.

Unlabelled: Globally, adolescents experience a significant burden of interpersonal violence, impacting their health, well-being and life trajectory. To address this, decision-makers need reliable evidence on effective interventions across various contexts.

Objectives: Synthesise the evidence for interventions addressing interpersonal violence experienced by adolescents aged 10-25 years.

Challenges to young children's swimming lesson participation in New South Wales, Australia.

Background: Child swimming lessons are a key intervention for drowning prevention; however, participation has been severely affected by COVID-19 restrictions and cost-of-living challenges. To encourage re-engagement, the New South Wales government began providing A$100 swimming lesson vouchers. Parent/carers of eligible preschool-aged children were asked to complete a survey during voucher creation.

Drowning prevention challenges and opportunities: An exploratory study of perspectives of delegates from ASEAN nations.

The South East Asian region has the world's second highest fatal drowning burden. This study reports analysis of survey data from representatives from nations within the Association of South East Asian Nations regarding current efforts, challenges and future opportunities for drowning prevention. Twenty-two responses were received from respondents from all ASEAN nations excepting Cambodia and Myanmar.

The impact of extreme heat on mass-gathering sporting events: Implications for Australia and other countries.

Objectives: As temperatures increase across the globe due to climate change, human exposure to extreme heat is a public health challenge. During sporting events, athletes, officials, spectators, and staff are at risk of heat stress and resulting illness. The objective of this review was to explore the impact of heat on the health outcomes of these groups and the wider health system and discuss implications for outdoor mass-gathering sporting events in Australia.

Hospital-admitted drowning in Victoria, Australia, before and after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives: To examine trends in hospitalisation following drowning in Victoria, Australia, before and after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design: Retrospective analysis of administrative hospital admission records.

Setting: Hospital admissions recorded in the Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset.

The effect of the 'Swim Reaper' program on water safety awareness, drowning mortality and morbidity among males aged 15-34 years in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Background And Objective: To increase water safety awareness among young males New Zealand introduced the Swim Reaper program in 2016. The program ran annually over summer and in 2018/19 an evaluation was conducted. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the 2018/19 Swim Reaper social media-based campaign on self-reported water safety awareness and identify changes in fatal and nonfatal drowning rates for New Zealand resident males aged 15-34 years before and after the 2016 Swim Reaper program.

Is further investment in shark management in New South Wales worthwhile? Surfer views on coastal public health issues.

Objective: To explore the views of surfers on investment in shark management compared to other coastal public health issues.

Methods: We examined the responses of 672 New South Wales (NSW) resident surfers to the Global Surfer Survey, which collected demographic information and asked surfers about which topics they believe additional funding should be devoted to.

Results: Half of surfers in NSW (50%) are worried about sharks while surfing only a very small proportion (16%) are supportive of additional funding for shark detection and management programs, with most being in favour of funding directed at ocean cleanliness (40%) and drowning prevention (29%).

The burden, risk factors and prevention strategies for drowning in Türkiye: a systematic literature review.

Introduction: Drowning is a public health problem in Türkiye, as in the rest of the world. This study aims to systematically review the literature on drowning in Türkiye with a focus on data sources, epidemiology, risk factors and prevention strategies.

Methods: Literature searches were conducted using PubMed, SPORTSDiscus, Scopus, Web of Science, Turk MEDLINE, Google Scholar and Google Akademik (Turkish language).

A 2-year prospective evaluation of airway clearance devices in foreign body airway obstructions.

Aim: To collect, analyze and report the first prospective, industry-independent, data on airway clearance devices as novel foreign body airway obstruction interventions.

Methods: We recruited adult airway clearance device users between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2023 using a centralized website and email follow-up. The data collection tool captured patient, responder, situation, and outcome variables.

Impact of a surfer rescue training program in Australia and New Zealand: a mixed methods evaluation.

Background: Surfers play a critical role in coastal drowning prevention, conservatively estimated to make as many rescues as beach lifeguards. The Surfer Rescue 24/7 (SR24/7) program is a coastal safety intervention in Australia and New Zealand that teaches surfers safe rescue skills and promotes prevention activities. This multi-part, mixed-methods study aimed to evaluate the impact of the SR24/7 program.

Barriers to preschool aged children's participation in swimming lessons in New South Wales, Australia.

Issue Addressed: To understand barriers to uptake of subsidised swimming lessons by children aged 3-6 years old ('preschool aged children'), including from priority populations, in New South Wales (NSW).

Methods: A thematic analysis of 4191 qualitative responses from parents/carers of preschool aged children describing barriers that resulted in their child's non-participation in subsidised swimming lessons in the past 12 months was conducted. Data, including parent/carer sociodemographic variables, were collected through registrations for the NSW Government's First Lap voucher program.

Examining the relationship between heatwaves and fatal drowning: a case study from Queensland, Australia.

Background: Globally, drowning is a leading cause of injury-related harm, which is heavily impacted by environmental conditions. In Australia, fatal unintentional drowning peaks in summer, yet the impact of prolonged periods of hot weather (heatwave) on fatal drowning has not previously been explored.

Methods: Using a case-crossover approach, we examined the difference in drowning risk between heatwave and non-heatwave days for the Australian state of Queensland from 2010 to 2019.