Perceptions of Water Competencies, Drowning Risk and Aquatic Participation among Older Adults

New Zealand has an aging population and, despite falling drowning tolls in all other age groups (WSNZ, 2019c), older adults have continued to drown in both increasing numbers and proportion. The reasons for this are not well understood since very little drowning research has focused on older people. A water safety survey (N = 389) seeking information on older adults’ aquatic recreational practices and perceptions of safety was conducted at the end of the summer season, 2019. Most adults (86%, n = 335) reported some aquatic activity in the previous year, but those aged 65+ years (66%) were significantly less likely than younger age groups to engage in aquatic recreation. Respondents aged 65+ years were less likely (74%) to perceive they could swim more than five minutes non-stop. We discuss the implications of lower perceived swimming and floating competence and less frequent participation in aquatic activities on risk of drowning

“Tea and Hot Water Provided”: Conviviality, Commensality, and Hospitality in the Rambling Notes of W.E. Hopkin 1930-1940

The relationship between rambling and food in Britain in the 1930s is explored through the weekly newspaper column Rambling Notes by W. E. Hopkin, head of a ramblers group based around Ripley, Nottinghamshire. Hopkin describes the previous Sunday’s day-hike, and the shared meals with 15-25 other ramblers. British ramblers carried minimal food in their knapsacks, preferring to eat in pubs, and tearooms with signs that read: “Tea and Hot Water Provided.” ‘Tea’ refers both to the meal – sandwiches and cakes – and also the drink. The huge influx of ramblers into the countryside in the 1930s triggered a growth in tearooms, often improvised in farmhouses and private homes. Hopkin’s descriptions of communal meals locate tearooms as sites for creating and maintaining social relations and identities. The symbolic role of food in rambling is examined through the notions of conviviality, commensality, and hospitality. The tea experience was central to the conviviality of the ramble, creating social bonds between diverse rambling group members, reinforced by the commensality of eating and talking together, and the imagined traditional values of the English countryside embodied in the tearoom hostess, welcoming travelers back to an idealized rural past of abundant authentic food and farmhouse comforts

Readiness to Rescue: Bystander Perceptions of Their Capacity to Respond in a Drowning Emergency

From 1980-2012, 81 persons drowned in New Zealand while attempting to rescue others. Of these, most (80%) were male, and all rescue fatalities occurred in open waters. Festivalgoers (N = 415) attending a cultural event in Auckland, New Zealand took part in a water safety survey that included information on their readiness to respond in a drowning emergency. Many indicated they would jump in and rescue a victim (47%), less than one third (30%) would get flotation to the victim. Significantly more males responded that they would jump in and rescue (males 55%, females 40%). Most (62%) estimated that they could only swim less than 100 m; 85% reported having swum that distance a swimming pool rather than in open water where most rescues take place; and one half (50%) had last swum the distance more than one year ago. Ways of promoting safe rescue knowledge are discussed and further research directions are identified

Parental Perceptions of Water Competence and Drowning Risk for Themselves and Their Children in an Open Water Environment

Little is known about people’s perceptions of how much swimming competency is required to provide protection from drowning, especially in open water environments where most drowning incidents occurs. This study reports on parental perceptions (n = 309) of swimming competency of themselves and their children, and parents beliefs on their safety when swimming in open water. Most parents (58%) considered themselves good/very good swimmers, although more than half (55%) considered that they could swim 25 m or less. Most parents (87%) reported that their children could swim, with more than one half (52%) believing that their child’s swimming competency was good/very good, yet most (74%) considered their child could swim only 25 m or less. Most parents (59%) and almost all children (81%) had never actually swum their reported distance in open water. In spite of these low levels of competency, one half (51%) of parents thought their children were safe/very safe in open water. The implications of an overly optimistic belief in the protective value of minimal levels of swimming competency for open water safety are discussed. Further exploration of the difference between real and perceived swimming competency, especially with at-risk groups such as males, are recommended

Toddler Drowning Prevention: Teaching Parents About Child CPR in Conjunction With Their Child’s In-Water Lessons

The purpose of the study was to develop a program that addressed parental misconceptions of child CPR. Parents (n = 109) of toddlers enrolled in swim school lessons were randomly assigned to control, pool-based instruction, and home-based groups. Initially, one third (30%) of parents were confident of their ability to perform child CPR and only one fifth (22%) correctly reported the recommended compression-to-rescue breath ratio of 30:2 for child CPR. Postintervention, confidence and knowledge of CPR protocols improved significantly for both instruction groups compared with the control group. Correct compression-to-breath ratios significantly improved for the pool-based group (86%) and home-based group (87%) compared with the control group (33%). Child CPR instruction at swim schools provided a valuable opportunity to reduce parental anxiety about performing child CPR and improved knowledge of child CPR. Further research is required to determine how other toddler parents might similarly benefit from such a program

Acculturation is associated with left ventricular mass in a multiethnic sample: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

BackgroundAcculturation involves stress-related processes and health behavioral changes, which may have an effect on left ventricular (LV) mass, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We examined the relationship between acculturation and LV mass in a multiethnic cohort of White, African-American, Hispanic and Chinese subjects.MethodsCardiac magnetic resonance assessment was available for 5004 men and women, free of clinical CVD at baseline. Left ventricular mass index was evaluated as LV mass indexed by body surface area. Acculturation was characterized based on language spoken at home, place of birth and length of stay in the United States (U.S.), and a summary acculturation score ranging from 0 = least acculturated to 5 = most acculturated. Mean LV mass index adjusted for traditional CVD risk factors was compared across acculturation levels.ResultsUnadjusted mean LV mass index was 78.0 ± 16.3 g/m(2). In adjusted analyses, speaking exclusively English at home compared to non-English language was associated with higher LV mass index (81.3 ± 0.4 g/m(2) vs 79.9 ± 0.5 g/m(2), p = 0.02). Among foreign-born participants, having lived in the U.S. for ≥ 20 years compared to < 10 years was associated with greater LV mass index (81.6 ± 0.7 g/m(2) vs 79.5 ± 1.1 g/m(2), p = 0.02). Compared to those with the lowest acculturation score, those with the highest score had greater LV mass index (78.9 ± 1.1 g/m(2) vs 81.1 ± 0.4 g/m(2), p = 0.002). There was heterogeneity in which measure of acculturation was associated with LV mass index across ethnic groups.ConclusionsGreater acculturation is associated with increased LV mass index in this multiethnic cohort. Acculturation may involve stress-related processes as well as behavioral changes with a negative effect on cardiovascular health