@article{ref1,
title="Public holiday and long weekend mortality risk in Australia: a behaviour and usage risk analysis for coastal drowning and other fatalities",
journal="Australian and New Zealand journal of public health",
year="2023",
author="Strasiotto, Luke and Ellis, Annabel and Daw, Shane and Lawes, Jasmin C.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: This article aims to determine the impact of public holidays and long weekends on the risk of drowning and non-drowning deaths on the Australian coast. <br><br>METHODS: A retrospective case-control study using relative risk ratios and Z-scores to compare all unintentional fatalities on the Australian coast between 2004 and 2021 to a longitudinal representative survey sample of the Australian public and their coastal usage. <br><br>RESULTS: Overall, the coastal mortality risk increased by 2.03 times for public holidays (95%CI = 1.77-2.33, p<0.0001) and 2.14 times by long weekends (95%CI = 1.85-2.48, p<0.0001). Children <16 years had the highest increased risk of death on public holidays (RR = 3.53, 95%CI = 1.98-6.31, p = 0.0005) and long weekends (RR = 2.90, 95%CI = 1.43-5.89, p = 0.011), while residents who were born overseas had a higher risk of death compared to those born in Australia. For public holidays, the greatest increase in risk was for swimming/wading and bystander rescues, while for long weekends, it was for scuba diving and snorkelling. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Public holidays and long weekends increase the risk of both drowning and non-drowning deaths on the Australian coast, which differed by demographics and activities. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: These results highlight periods of risk when targeted coastal safety messaging to high-risk demographics (particularly children and overseas-born residents), and provision of surf lifesaving resources can be increased.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1326-0200",
doi="10.1016/j.anzjph.2023.100054",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anzjph.2023.100054"
}