Differences in Drowning Rates between Rural and Non-Rural Residents of Ontario, Canada

Authors

Michael Fralick, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, CAFollow
Zane R. Gallinger, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, CA
Stephen W. Hwang, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, CA

DOI

https://doi.org/10.25035/ijare.07.04.06

Abstract

The objective of our study was to determine if rural residence was associated with an increased risk of drowning in Ontario, Canada. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all unintentional drowning deaths in Ontario Canada from 2004 to 2008. Age-adjusted mortality rates for males and females living in rural and non-rural areas were calculated using direct standardization, with non-rural residents as the reference population. We identified a total of 564 unintentional drowning deaths. The majority (89%) of fatal drowning victims were male, and 75% percent of victims were from non-rural area. Excluding bathtub drowning deaths, the age-adjusted drowning mortality rate was significantly higher for both males (rate ratio 2.8; 95% CI, 2.3- 3.4) and females (rate ratio 2.8; 95% CI 1.5- 5.0) from rural compared to non-rural areas. In Ontario, rural residence was associated with an increased risk of unintentional drowning.

Recommended Citation

Fralick, Michael; Gallinger, Zane R.; and Hwang, Stephen W. (2013) "Differences in Drowning Rates between Rural and Non-Rural Residents of Ontario, Canada," International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education: Vol. 7: No. 4, Article 6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.25035/ijare.07.04.06
Available at: https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/ijare/vol7/iss4/6