Drowning is a leading cause of injury-related death in childhood. In 1998, more than 1500 U.S. children under the age of 20 years drowned. Risk factors for drowning include age, gender, and race. Children under 5 and individuals between the ages of 15-24 are at highest risk for drowning. Males drown at a higher rate than females and African American males have higher rates of drowning than White males of comparable age. While only about a third of drownings among African American males between the ages of 5-19 years occur in swimming pools, African American males ages 5-9 years are four times more likely to drown in swimming pools than white males of comparable age. Similarly, between the ages of 10-19 years, the rates of swimming pool drownings among African American males are over 10 times greater than those of White males. In order to better understand factors underlying the racial disparities in rates of drowning in swimming pools among children >5 years of age, more information is needed about drowning victims and the circumstances surrounding drowning events. This study examines circumstances surrounding swimming pool drowning deaths that occurred in 1995 through 1999, and in which the drowning victim was between the ages of 5 through 24 years.
