Drownings in Minnesota, 1980-85: a population-based study

We conducted a population-based study of drownings in Minnesota from 1980 through 1985. Five hundred and forty-one drownings (2.1 per 100,000 person-years) were identified from death certificates and from incident reports filed with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Most drownings (334,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAmerican journal of public health (1971) Vol. 80; no. 9; pp. 1071 - 1074
Main Authors Hedberg, K, Gunderson, P D, Vargas, C, Osterholm, M T, MacDonald, K L
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington, DC Am Public Health Assoc 01.09.1990
American Public Health Association
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Child, Preschool
Death Certificates
Deaths
Drowning - epidemiology
Drowning - etiology
Drownings
Female
Humans
Incidence
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Minnesota - epidemiology
Population-based studies
Public health
Safety
Seasons
Sex Factors
Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents
Minnesota
United States
North America
America
Human
Seasonal variation
Mortality
Drowning
Epidemiology
Statistical study
Trauma
Age
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Summary:We conducted a population-based study of drownings in Minnesota from 1980 through 1985. Five hundred and forty-one drownings (2.1 per 100,000 person-years) were identified from death certificates and from incident reports filed with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Most drownings (334, 62 percent) occurred during summer months (May-August) and involved boating (42 percent) and swimming (35 percent) events. However, 62 drownings (11 percent) occurred during winter months (December-February) and primarily involved snowmobiles and motor vehicles (71 percent) breaking through ice on lakes and waterways. The risk of drowning, estimated by the ratio of drownings to number of water-related activities, was highest during March and April, when the ice on lakes and waterway surfaces is melting, and during October and November, when lake and waterway surfaces are starting to freeze. Drowning rates were highest for males (3.7 per 100,000 person-years), persons 15 to 25 years of age (3.3 per 100,000 person-years), and children less than 5 years of age (2.5 per 100,000 person-years). These data can be used to target prevention strategies, particularly in northern climates.
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ISSN:0090-0036
1541-0048
DOI:10.2105/AJPH.80.9.1071