Citation

Chauvin M, Kosatsky T, Bilodeau-Bertrand M, Gamache P, Smargiassi A, Auger N. Prev. Med. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Institut national de santé publique du Québec, 190 Cremazie Blvd E., Montreal, Quebec H2P 1E2, Canada; University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Department of Social and Preventive medicine, 900 Saint Denis St, Montreal, Quebec H2X 0A9, Canada; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, McGill University, 1020 Pine Avenue W, Quebec H3A 1A2, Canada. Electronic address: nathalie.auger@inspq.qc.ca.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.105885

PMID

31705939

Abstract

The link between outdoor temperature and risk of drowning in children is poorly understood. The objective of this study was to determine the association between elevated temperature and the chance of drowning in children and adolescents. We used a case-crossover study design to assess 807 fatal and nonfatal drowning-related hospitalisations among children aged 0 to 19 years in Quebec, Canada between 1989 and 2015. The primary exposure measure was maximum temperature the day of drowning. We estimated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of temperature with drowning by age group (<2, 2-4, 5-9, 10-19 years), adjusted for precipitation, relative humidity, and holidays. Elevated temperature was associated with greater odds of drowning. Compared with 15 °C, a temperature of 30 °C was associated with 6 times the chance of drowning between 0 and 19 years of age (95% CI 4.40-8.16). The association was not modified by characteristics such as age or location of drowning. Relative to 15 °C, a temperature of 30 °C was associated with 3.75 times the odds of drowning in pools (95% CI 1.85-7.63) and 12.44 times the odds of drowning in other bodies of water (95% CI 3.53-43.81). Associations persisted even after implementation of a policy to restrict access to private pools in 2010. These findings suggest that hot weather is strongly associated with the risk of drowning in children aged 0 to 19 years. Interventions to prevent drowning in children should be enhanced during hot days, and not only around pools.

Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Language: en

Keywords

Child; Drowning; Environmental exposure; Hot temperature; Weather