Black children drown successful swimming pools astatine rates much than 7 times higher than achromatic children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But a caller survey suggests information programs and amended entree to pools could assistance span that gap.
In a survey from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital published Dec. 9 successful diary Pediatrics, less parents who identified arsenic Latine and Black reported comfortableness with their ain swimming skills — little than 25 percent and 28 percent, respectively — compared to achromatic parents, astatine 56 percent. Similarly, little than 33 percent of Black parents and little than 40 percent of Latine parents affirmed their children’s swimming competence, compared to astir 60 percent of achromatic parents.
“We request to code aquatics comfortableness and skills for some parents and their children,” said elder writer Dr. Michelle Macy, an exigency medicine doc astatine Lurie Children’s and subordinate prof of pediatrics astatine Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “Expanding entree to pools and affordable, culturally tailored water-safety programs are critically important strategies to assistance destruct radical disparities successful kid drownings.”
The survey besides revealed that much than 26 percent of Black parents and much than 32 percent of Latine parents reported ne'er having learned to swim, compared to little than 4 percent of achromatic parents. Likewise, less Black and Latine children had swimming lessons compared to achromatic children by a wide margin.
“Our results underscore that radical and taste gaps successful swimming competence tally successful families, and that children are little apt to aquatics erstwhile their parents can’t swim,” Macy said.
The survey utilized the Voices of Child Health successful Chicago Parent Panel to ascertain genitor and kid experiences with aquatics lessons and swimming skills. Macy and colleagues analyzed responses from 1,283 parents of 2,148 children aged 4 years and older. Participants represented the radical and taste diverseness of Chicago.
Research astatine Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is conducted done Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, which is focused connected improving kid health, transforming pediatric medicine and ensuring healthier futures done the relentless pursuit of knowledge.