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Rejman M, Rudnik D, Stallman RK. Goggle-free swimming as autonomous water competence from the perspective of breath control on execution of a given distance. Sci Rep 2024; 14:18820. [PMID: 39138358 PMCID: PMC11322175 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-69996-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to examine the ability of adolescents to maintain breathing rhythm while swimming with and without goggles, in the context of pedagogical interventions for implementation of water competence skills, rather than simply teaching swimming technique (strokes). 25 females and 25 males, 12-13 years old, swam the front crawl both with goggles and without goggles. Distance covered and the ability to maintain breathing rhythm were evaluated by experts. For both girls and boys, the lack of goggles reduced the breath control. The boys in contrast to the girls, could "swim" (cover a distance) but did not have the "competence" to swim effectively/safely-with breathing rhythm-regardless of the goggle factor. Goggle-free swimming as an autonomous component of water competence is highly recommended in elementary swimming education. The following elements for pedagogical intervention in the area of water competence development are proposed: (1) the formatting of breath control on the basis of the student's preferred, simplest form of swimming (not strokes); (2) the a priori treatment of swimming goggles as an unnecessary teaching aid; (3) the gender differences in area of both adaptation in visual perception (the goggles factor) and motor control (breath control factor) should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Rejman
- Department of Swimming, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Daria Rudnik
- Department of Swimming, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Robert Keig Stallman
- Department of Physical Performance, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences (Retired), Oslo, Norway
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Playter K, Hurley E, Lavin-Parsons K, Parida K, Ballinger Z, Wong K, Valente A. Water safe Worcester: student-led drowning prevention in an adolescent underserved population. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1387094. [PMID: 39071143 PMCID: PMC11280722 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1387094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Adolescents aged 15 to 19 years have the second highest fatal drowning rate of any age group, second only to toddlers aged 12 to 36 months. This risk is amplified in black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), and those of low socioeconomic status. Worcester, MA is a diverse city with over 40% of residents identifying as BIPOC and 20% living below the poverty line. The city has multiple natural bodies of water available for recreation, putting Worcester residents, particularly adolescents, at high risk of drowning. It is known that swimming lessons provided to adolescents significantly improve their swimming skills, however many programs are tailored to young children and are not appropriate for adolescents. Students from the University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan Medical School (UMass Chan), in collaboration with community partners, developed a water safety and swim education program tailored to Worcester adolescents as a means for an age-appropriate swim experience and education, community engagement, and injury prevention. Water Safe Worcester (WSW) was established as a city-wide injury prevention program that included swim lessons offered by medical students at the Central Community Branch YMCA in Worcester, MA. Instructors included UMass Chan medical students, graduate students, and staff. Adolescent YMCA members were invited to participate in lessons free of charge. Lessons were 90 min and emphasized a 3-fold approach: (1) expand knowledge of water safety and what to do in an emergency, (2) increase swimming skills, and (3) reduce fear of water. The overall attendance for the 2023 spring and summer sessions offered was 73 students, including multiple swimmers who attended more than one session. A total of 12 volunteers participated, which included 9 first-year medical students, one PhD student, one research assistant, and one surgery resident from UMass Chan. WSW demonstrated promising outcomes during its swim education classes, suggesting that WSW is a successful model to promote water safety, reduce the risk of drowning, and expand access to life-saving skills to Worcester's at-risk adolescents. This program serves as a critical step toward health equity while also providing an avenue for public health and injury prevention exposure for medical students.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erin Hurley
- UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | | | - Kurren Parida
- UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | | | - Kaitlyn Wong
- UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- UMass Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Alycia Valente
- UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- UMass Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Emergency Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
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Mangal R, Desai A, Treger D, Gompels M, Thaller S. Craniofacial Injuries in Swimming and Water Sports: Implications for Prevention. J Craniofac Surg 2024:00001665-990000000-01296. [PMID: 38252536 DOI: 10.1097/scs.0000000000009948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Water-related recreational activities, including swimming and diving, are widespread. However, they carry a significant risk of craniofacial injuries. Despite the popularity of these activities, comprehensive data on injuries beyond drowning remain scant. This study addresses this gap by providing valuable epidemiological insight into the nature, prevalence, and demographic patterns of craniofacial injuries related to water sports activities. METHODS The authors queried the NEISS database for craniofacial injuries related to swimming, diving, and water sports from 2013 to 2022. Data were analyzed for demographics, anatomic locations of injuries, and the activities leading to these injuries. RESULTS Between 2013 and 2022, a total of 952,111 craniofacial injuries were associated with swimming and water sports. Of these, 510,706 (53.6%) were male patients, and 441,405 (46.4%) were female. This indicates that males were 1.16 times more likely to sustain such injuries. The age groups most affected were 0 to 9 and 10 to 19 years. Anatomic locations impacted were as follows: ears (58.1%), head (16.8%), face (13.9%), neck (4.8%), eyeballs (4.4%), and mouth (2%). Leading causes were identified as swimming and water sports activities (66.5%), swimming pools and equipment (28.2%), diving or diving boards (4.7%), and scuba diving (0.5%). Notably, 89.2% of patients with diving-related injuries and 99.1% with swimming-related injuries were not admitted to the hospital. CONCLUSIONS This study offers critical epidemiological data to supplement targeted prevention strategies and resource allocation in managing craniofacial injuries associated with water activities. The findings highlight the urgent need for specialized care and serve as a foundation for future preventive initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan Mangal
- Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL
| | - Anshumi Desai
- Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL
- DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Miami, Miami, FL
| | - Dylan Treger
- Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL
| | | | - Seth Thaller
- Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL
- DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Miami, Miami, FL
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Dimitrić G, Jakšić M, Sadri F, Šajber D, Kaurin T, Zenić N, Tabakova E. How University Students Assess Their Water Skills. Front Sports Act Living 2022; 4:887216. [PMID: 35669559 PMCID: PMC9163658 DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2022.887216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the gender differences between students' actual and perceived water abilities, how respondents assess risk in the described situations, and whether there are gender differences for those situations. The cross-sectional study was conducted on 150 students aged 19–20 years (males, n = 88; females, n = 62) from the faculty of sport and physical education, University of Novi Sad. Using calculated frequencies and estimates, students' self-assessment and actual measures of their swimming and survival skills and their perceived risk of drowning are described. Based on the results, Mann-Whitney U tests were applied. The differences between independent variables (gender) were analyzed according to dependent measures (water competency). To determine the significance of the relationship between actual and perceived skills, Spearman-rank correlation coefficients were calculated. The results of this study confirmed gender differences between students' actual and perceived water abilities, and that the male and female students had inaccurate perceptions of their own perceived and real water abilities. Both male and female students, with high precision, assessed their ability to swim long distances (rs = 0.601; rs = 0.694) just as female students assessed their ability to float (rs = 0.698). Male students greatly overestimated their backstroke swimming, while female students underestimated their ability to dive into the water. Both groups overestimated underwater swimming and underestimated their surface dive skill. Also, there was gender differences between students in assessing the risk for described situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goran Dimitrić
- Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
- *Correspondence: Goran Dimitrić
| | - Milorad Jakšić
- Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Filip Sadri
- Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Dorica Šajber
- Faculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tanja Kaurin
- Faculty of Law and Business Studies dr Lazar Vrkatić, Union University-Belgrade, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Nataša Zenić
- Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, Split, Croatia
| | - Elena Tabakova
- Institute of Sport and Physical Education, Russian State University of Physical Education, Sports, Youth and Tourism, Moscow, Russia
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Mertens L, De Martelaer K, Sääkslahti A, D’Hondt E. The Inter-Rater and Intra-Rater Reliability of the Actual Aquatic Skills Test (AAST) for Assessing Young Children's Motor Competence in the Water. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 19:ijerph19010446. [PMID: 35010700 PMCID: PMC8744731 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
As children’s actual aquatic skills are important for the prevention of drowning as well as their engagement in lifelong aquatic physical activity, researchers and practitioners should be able to assess this vital concept accurately and reliably. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the Actual Aquatic Skills Test (AAST), consisting of 17 different test items for the assessment of young children’s motor competence in the water. Six raters received a training and evaluation session on scoring the AAST, after which five of them assessed four test videos (of various children (n = 38) performing the test items) twice, with one to two weeks in between (i.e., test and re-test). Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability were determined per test video and for the different AAST test items across videos using Gwet’s Agreement Coefficient 2 (Gwet’s AC2). The Gwet’s AC2 for inter-rater reliability at the test varied from 0.414 to 1.000, indicating a moderate to perfect agreement between raters. For intra-rater reliability, it ranged from 0.628 to 1.000, demonstrating a good to perfect agreement between test and re-test scoring. In conclusion, the AAST is a promising tool to reliably assess young children’s actual aquatic skills in an indoor swimming pool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Mertens
- Research Unit on Movement and Nutrition for Health and Performance, Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (K.D.M.); (E.D.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +32-496858415
| | - Kristine De Martelaer
- Research Unit on Movement and Nutrition for Health and Performance, Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (K.D.M.); (E.D.)
| | - Arja Sääkslahti
- Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (L), FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland;
| | - Eva D’Hondt
- Research Unit on Movement and Nutrition for Health and Performance, Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (K.D.M.); (E.D.)
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Olstad BH, Berg PR, Kjendlie PL. Outsourcing Swimming Education-Experiences and Challenges. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 18:ijerph18010006. [PMID: 33374977 PMCID: PMC7792615 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In Norway, swimming and lifesaving education (swimming education) is an obligatory part of physical education, with explicit learning aims after grade four. After recent reports of Norwegian pupils achieving low scores in swimming abilities, the Government has outlined strategies for improving swimming education. There is a notable trend toward using external providers in delivering swimming education. This article examines the outsourcing of swimming education in Norwegian primary schools. Eighteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with school leaders, physical education teachers and swimming instructors involved in outsourcing arrangements. The outsourcing was organized through private providers, municipalities, or local swimming clubs. Data were analyzed thematically and separated into highlighted areas of outsourcing practices. The results showed that outsourcing may be a solution for schools that lack staff with swimming experience and knowledge. It also indicates that teacher courses, professional development through collaboration, and strategies for measuring quality would improve swimming education.
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Perceived and Real Aquatic Competence in Children from 6 to 10 Years Old. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17176101. [PMID: 32825717 PMCID: PMC7503695 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17176101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to analyze the relationship between perceived aquatic competence (PAC) and real aquatic competence (RAC) in 6 to 10 year old children in skills identified as relevant for surviving an aquatic accident. The study sample consisted of 105 children (8.2 + 1.3 years old). Two age groups were examined separately [G1, 6 to 7 years (n = 53); G2, 8 to 10 years (n = 52)]. Children’s aquatic competence was evaluated twice for skills linked to the risk of drowning: Firstly, using a common swimsuit (simple condition) and secondly wearing a t-shirt (complex condition). The PAC was assessed by questionnaire interview. Pearson correlation coefficients, pairwise, and independent t-test comparisons were performed with a significance level of 5%. Similar levels of PAC were found among both age groups for all measured skills, excepted for breath control during swimming (p < 0.05). However, PAC differs significantly (p < 0.001) from RAC (in simple and complex conditions) only in G1. Correlations between PAC and RAC were modest for all measured skills in both age-groups. Significant differences were found between RAC in simple and complex conditions in both groups (p < 0.01). Age contributes to a higher perceived aquatic competence in skills related to the risk of drowning.
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