@article{ref1,
title="Disparities in unintentional drowning fatalities in Texas, USA, 1999-2020",
journal="Injury prevention",
year="2024",
author="Johnson, Molly B. and Lawson, Karla A. and Zane, David F. and Abedin, Anushka",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Drowning is the third-leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide. Although the USA as a whole bears a heavy burden, with approximately 4000 drowning fatalities annually, Texas stands out as a high-risk state for drowning due to its large population, suitable climate for year-round aquatic activities and availability of water-related recreational opportunities. <br><br>METHODS: Using mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging ONline Data for Epidemiologic Research online database, this retrospective, cross-sectional study overviews the magnitude and patterns of fatal unintentional drownings among Texans from 1999 to 2020. <br><br>RESULTS: Over the 22-year period, 7737 Texans died from unintentional drowning. An average of 352 drowning deaths occurred annually, with a rate of 1.4 deaths per 100 000 population. The highest proportion of unintentional drownings occurred in natural water settings (eg, lakes, ponds or rivers), accounting for 40% of fatal drownings. Children aged 1-4 years had the highest drowning death rate compared with all other age groups. Male Texans had a drowning death rate three times higher than that of female Texans. Black Texans had a higher drowning death rate than White Texans and Asian or Pacific Islander Texans. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Drowning remains a significant public health issue in Texas. Data on high-risk groups and settings should be used to strengthen drowning prevention efforts and policy initiatives and encourage more research to address the multifaceted factors contributing to drowning.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1353-8047",
doi="10.1136/ip-2024-045323",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/ip-2024-045323"
}