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Kim, M.-S.; Lee, H.-S., and Lee, J.-H., 2023. Improvement of survival swimming education operations during COVID-19. In: Lee, J.L.; Lee, H.; Min, B.I.; Chang, J.-I.; Cho, G.T.; Yoon, J.-S., and Lee, J. (eds.) Multidisciplinary Approaches to Coastal and Marine Management. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 116, pp. 453-457. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208 The implementation of survival swimming education in Korea, as a means of raising safety awareness and equipping students with survival skills in the event of emergencies, was disrupted by limited in-person classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, the problems with and operational improvement plans for survival swimming education during the COVID-19 pandemic were determined by interviewing seven participants. The participants cited insufficient time for survival swimming education, non-systematization of educational programs, and reduced efficiency of survival swimming education programs as the problems with indoor survival swimming experiential education. To address these problems, an operational improvement plan for indoor survival swimming experiential education should include the extension of the duration of survival swimming education, systematization of the survival swimming education program, and implementation of Metaverse-based education and blended learning. The findings of this study contribute to improving the educational methodological aspects and effectiveness of indoor survival swimming experiential education.

IntroductionWHO guidance supports implementation of drowning prevention interventions. This study aimed to examine barriers and facilitators of use of WHO guidance on basic swimming and water safety skills in low-resource settings, gathering insights into inform codesign of technical resources.MethodsMixed methods were used comprising WHO guidance gap analysis, participant surveys and thematic analysis of workshop discussions (17 participants and 13 countries). WHO document analysis and analysis of pre-workshop survey responses were combined to identify topic areas where additional guidance was required. Inductive thematic analysis of workshop discussions spanned current practice, challenges and opportunities. Postworkshop anonymous evaluation forms were also analysed.ResultsFour topic areas were identified that required additional technical guidance to support implementation: Site Safety Auditing; Medical Screening of Participants; Informed Consent and Emergency Action Planning. Barriers broadly spanned a lack of trained personnel and equipment as well as a lack of community understanding and varying support from external agencies. Opportunities identified included partnering with local organisations with specific expertise (ie, medical, emergency planning), improving programme administration and challenging traditional community practices (ie, informed consent, superstitions). Participants agreed the workshop would lead to changes in practice, however this remains to be confirmed.DiscussionAdditional technical resources to address gaps and support implementation were suggested and should now be developed, implemented and evaluated.ConclusionThis study identified additional technical resources and the development of a community of practice to support effective teaching of school age children swimming and water safety skills in low-resource settings.

BackgroundChild swimming lessons are a key intervention for drowning prevention; however, participation has been severely affected by COVID-19 restrictions and cost-of-living challenges. To encourage re-engagement, the New South Wales government began providing A$100 swimming lesson vouchers. Parent/carers of eligible preschool-aged children were asked to complete a survey during voucher creation. This study aimed to examine pre-existing challenges to lesson participation among families who had not participated in the preceding 12 months.MethodsCross-sectional data from parent/carer surveys completed between December 2021 and June 2022 were analysed. Binary logistic models analysed associations between sociodemographic factors and answered affirmatively to one or more challenges to participation from a predefined list.ResultsOf 221 218 vouchers created, 79 553 parent/carers (36%) indicated that their child had not participated in swimming lessons in the last 12 months and responded to the question about participation challenges. Parent/carers of children with disabilities or residing in low socioeconomic areas had higher odds of indicating cost was a challenge while regional/remote families had over five times higher odds of indicating swim school availability difficulties. Families speaking a non-English language at home had over 2.5 times higher odds of thinking that their child was too young for swimming lessons, higher odds of thinking swimming lessons were not important and higher odds of indicating that COVID-19 had challenged participation.ConclusionThese findings highlight how different population groups experience challenges to participation in swimming lessons. Alleviating costs and increasing lesson availability is important.

Drowning is a global public health issue, with minority populations, including migrants, experiencing significant disparities in drowning. The World Health Organization recommends learning to swim as a strategy to reduce drowning. In Australia, migrants are identified as a priority population for drowning prevention, accounting for approximately one-third of all drowning deaths. This study aimed to identify swimming and water safety programs aimed at adult migrant populations in Australia and to explore how these programs are meeting the needs of migrant adults. Using a qualitative multiple case study methodology a desktop review was conducted of 30 publicly accessible swimming and water safety programs across Australia aimed at migrant communities. From this review, six programs were purposively selected for in-depth analysis. Interviews and focus groups with 63 participants (program, managers, swim teachers and program participants), were conducted, guided by the Health Belief Model and Theory of Planned Behaviour. Data was thematically analysed using a deductive approach. Four overlapping key themes with 14 sub-themes were identified: (1) Motivations for establishing programs for migrant adults, (2) Perceived barriers to participation, (3) Addressing cultural and socio-economic determinants of health and (4) Factors and challenges to program success. Findings revealed that drowning among migrant communities was the catalyst for establishing programs, and that staff consciously design these swim programs to make programs accessible and relevant to migrants. This includes offering single-gender programs, providing culturally appropriate swimwear, having bilingual teachers, low or no cost participation fees and ensuring training pathways to employment in the aquatic industry. Swimming and water safety programs that acknowledge and respond to migrants’ needs and characteristics offer multiple benefits beyond drowning prevention, including improved physical, social and mental health, and positive settlement experiences. These programs highlight the importance of acquiring water safety awareness, knowledge and skills, and how this can influence generational attitudes and behaviour towards drowning risk and water engagement. Drowning is a complex public health issue, with collaboration among multisectoral stakeholders required to create an impact and reduce inequities, especially for vulnerable populations such as migrant adults.

The purpose of this study was to examine experiences and impacts from participating in an adult swim instruction program. We conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with adults aged 18 + who had participated in an adult learn to swim program. Participants were interviewed through a virtual platform using a semi-structured protocol. Data were coded individually by each member of the research team for emerging thematic outcomes with final consensus among all those involved in the analysis. Participants expressed adult learn to swim programs had an effect in three areas: (a) life affordance, (b) emotional affect, and (c) interpersonal relationships. Public health experts and aquatics leaders should consider targeting programs aimed at teaching adults to learn how to swim, especially to marginalized individuals and those who did not grow up in the United States. The authors highlight how these programs can create life affordances well beyond lap swimming and even water safety.

BackgroundDrowning is the leading cause of death among children in rural Bangladesh. While survival swimming for children ages 6 years and above is recommended in low-income and middle-income countries, research into the long-term retention of survival swimming skills is absent.MethodsThe retention of four survival swimming skills, including swimming for 25 m, floating/treading for 30 s, reach rescue skills and throw rescue skills, was observed among those trained under the SwimSafe programme more than 10 years ago. Information about the practice of survival swimming skills among SwimSafe graduates and whether they recommended such lessons for others was also collected through surveys. A multistage sampling strategy was used. Descriptive statistics on the retention of survival swimming skills and other variables and ORs from logistic regression analysis were reported.ResultsA total of 3603 SwimSafe graduates were observed. The retention of swimming and floating/treading skills was 88.4% and 89.7%, respectively, and that of swimming and floating/treading skills combined was 84.2%. While 87.7% of the graduates retained reach rescue skills, the retention of throw rescue skills was lower (71.9%). Approximately 60.6% of the graduates retained all four survival swimming skills. The majority of the graduates (70.3%) rarely practised swimming following graduation. Overall, 61.7% of the graduates recommended other children to learn survival swimming skills.ConclusionThe majority of the SwimSafe graduates retained swimming and floating/treading skills for over 10 years despite minimal practice. Retention of throw rescue skills was lower. Therefore, refresher training and awareness campaigns focused on survival swimming skills are recommended.

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.

IntroductionSwimming skills are an evidence-based component of drowning prevention. However, in Australia, many children miss out on learn to swim education. Voucher programmes may reduce swimming lesson cost and increase participation, especially among priority populations. The First Lap voucher programme provides two New South Wales state government-funded $100 vouchers for parents/carers of preschool children to contribute to swimming lesson costs. This evaluation aims to determine the effectiveness of the programme in meeting objectives of increasing preschool-aged children participating in learn to swim programmes and building parent/carer knowledge and awareness of the importance of preschool-aged children learning to swim.Methods and analysisA programme logic model was developed to explain the inputs, activities and intended outputs, and outcomes, which guided this mixed-methods evaluation design of quantitative and qualitative analysis within an impact/outcome evaluation. Baseline sociodemographic registration data will be provided by the parent/carer of each child participant and linked to swim school provider data on voucher redemption. Data will be collected on voucher use, knowledge, and attitudes to swimming lessons at registration and across two surveys. An economic evaluation will assess programme cost-effectiveness.ConclusionThis evaluation will determine impacts on participation rates in learn to swim programmes, particularly within priority populations. It will examine whether the programme has influenced attitudes and motivations of parents and carers toward learn to swim programmes and water safety, whether the programme has impacted or enhanced the ability of the aquatics sector to deliver learn to swim programmes and assess its cost-effectiveness.

ObjectiveWe evaluate the effectiveness of a swim skill acquisition intervention among Latino youths, ages 3–14, a minority population at increased risk of drowning.MethodsParents were recruited through community institutions to have their children participate in group swim lessons. Each child's swim ability was assessed at baseline, and they were then exposed to swim lessons over an 8-week period, taught by trained professionals. The swim skill curriculum focused on water safety, flotation and endurance, at five levels of increasing skill acquisition. Final swim ability was assessed on the last day of the child's participation. Programme effectiveness was measured using direct pre–post comparisons with and without adjustment for key moderators (age and gender) and a mediator (number of practices). We also present a bias-adjusted estimate comparing low with high practice volume relying on a propensity score analysis.ResultsAmong the 149 participating children, average acquisition was 12.3 swim skills (95% CI 10.7 to 14.1). Skill acquisition varied by age category (3–5, 6–9 and 10–14 years) and by gender. We found a strong practice intensity effect, with skill acquisition accelerated for those participating in 10 or more swimming lessons. The propensity-adjusted estimate of the impact of 10 or more compared with 9 or fewer lessons was 8.2 skills (95% CI 4.8 to 11.8).ConclusionsAn 8-week swim intervention is effective at building skills in a community-based sample of Latino children, ages 3–14 years. The number of swimming lessons was a far stronger correlate of skill acquisition than were age or gender.

Background Despite universal health coverage and longstanding child-safety initiatives, socioeconomic and ethnic inequalities in childhood injury remain pronounced in Israel. Unintentional childhood injuries (UCI) function as a proxy for health inequity, reflecting structural gaps in preventive infrastructure and access to safe environments. Methods This study examines two case studies that illustrate how differential public investment contributes to unequal injury risks: (1) public playgrounds availability, and (2) participation in school-based swimming lessons. Both are analyzed within a social-determinants-of-health framework, emphasizing the interaction of environment, education, and municipal capacity. Data on fatal childhood injuries in public spaces and drowning incidents were drawn from Beterem Safe Kids Israel’s national media-based mortality database (2008–2025). Playground availability was assessed through triangulated sources, including OpenStreetMap, field validation, and Standards Institution of Israel records. Swimming-participation data were obtained from Ministry of Education responses to Freedom of Information requests for 2022–2023. Associations between infrastructure and training and child mortality were tested using Spearman’s rank correlation. Results Across 62 municipalities with child populations above 10,000, a significant positive correlation was found between children per playground and UCI (Unintentional Child Injury) mortality in public spaces (ρ = 0.290, p  < 0.05). Swimming participation displayed a inverse, though non-significant, relationship with drowning mortality (ρ = − 0.357, p  = 0.08). Participation inequalities were substantial: only 25% of children from low-SES clusters (1–3) and 20.5% of Arab children participated in swimming instruction, compared with 60% in affluent and Jewish municipalities. Between 2021 and 2025, Arab children were more than twice as likely to die from drowning as Jewish children (rate ratio = 2.43, χ² = 14.83, p  < 0.001). Conclusions These findings point to a shared structural mechanism behind injury inequalities: persistent underinvestment and institutional barriers that restrict access to preventive infrastructure in low-income and minority municipalities. Although playgrounds and swimming lessons are distinct domains, both exemplify how inequitable distribution of safety-enhancing resources produces measurable health risks. Addressing these gaps requires coordinated policy reforms that integrate public health, education, and urban planning; establish equity-weighted funding for preventive infrastructure; and institutionalize monitoring of child-safety environments. Equitable investment in prevention is essential for reducing injury and advancing child health equity in Israel.