Citation

Johnson MB, Lawson KA, Magrum A, Zane DF. Dell Children's Medical Center. Austin, TX, USA: Dell Children’s Trauma and Injury Research Center, and Colin’s Hope, 2022.

Copyright

(Copyright 2022, Dell Children's Medical Center)

The full document is available online.

Abstract

Worldwide, drowning is a public health problem, resulting in nearly 236,000 deaths in 2019 and ranking as the third leading cause of death due to unintentional injury. Although drowning poses a greater risk in lower and middle income countries, drowning is a significant burden in the United States (U.S.), resulting in a yearly estimate of 3,960 fatal unintentional drowning deaths and 8,080 non-fatal drownings. Drowning can happen at any age, but children 1-4 years old are most at risk. In the U.S., drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury death for children 1-4 years old.

Drownings are not always fatal, though. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that for every one fatal drowning of a child under 15 years of age, there are eight more children who receive emergency department care for non-fatal drownings. Non-fatal drownings can have devastating consequences, resulting in long-term neurological impairments. Fatal and non-fatal drownings typically have long-term psychological impacts on families and survivors. Additionally, the economic burden of drowning is high.


Drowning risk can vary widely between U.S. states due to the size of the state, the weather, and the availability of natural water sources, home pools, and public pools. Texas is the second most populous state in the U.S., with almost 30 million residents. The weather in Texas averages from a low of 36° F in January to a high of 96° F in July and August, which allows for swimming and water sports most months of the year.(7) Because of the high outdoor temperatures, home pools are common, with one in 27,723 people having a home pool, making Texas the state with the sixth highest rate of home pools in the U.S. Additionally, Texas is home to many sources of natural water. Texas has the sixth highest miles of coastline of any state. Texas is also dotted with many lakes, ponds, and rivers and offers many opportunities for water-based recreation across the state. The large population of Texas could lead to a large total burden of drowning deaths. Additionally, the weather and availability of swimming pools and natural water in Texas may make the state more prone to a high drowning death rate.

The aim of this report is to provide a current understanding of the magnitude and patterns of unintentional drowning deaths among Texans over the 15-year period between 2006 and 2020. We believe the information in this report will increase awareness of drowning as a public health issue. With a better understanding of the scope of fatal unintentional drowning in Texas, we can strengthen drowning prevention efforts and encourage more drowning research.