TY - JOUR PY - 2021// TI - Exploring a hidden epidemic: drowning among adults aged 65 years and older JO - Journal of aging and health A1 - Clemens, Tessa A1 - Peden, Amy Elizabeth A1 - Franklin, Richard Charles SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - OBJECTIVES: To explore trends in unintentional fatal drowning among older adults (65 years and older).

METHODS: Total population retrospective analysis of unintentional fatal drowning among people aged 65 years and older in Australia, Canada and New Zealand (2005-2014) was conducted.

RESULTS: 1459 older adults died. Rates ranged from 1.69 (Canada) to 2.20 (New Zealand) per 100,000. Trends in crude drowning rates were variable from year to year. A downward trend was observed in New Zealand (y = -.507ln(x) + 2.9918), with upward trends in Australia (y =.1056ln(x) + 1.5948) and Canada (y =.1489ln(x) + 1.4571). Population projections suggest high annual drowning deaths by 2050 in Australia (range: 120-190; 1.69-2.76/100,000) and Canada (range: 209-430; 1.78-3.66/100,000). Significant locations and activities associated with older adult drowning differed by country and age band.

CONCLUSIONS: Drowning among older adults is a hidden epidemic claiming increasing lives as the population ages. Targeted drowning prevention strategies are urgently needed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and other similar countries.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0898-2643 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/08982643211014770 ID - ref1 ER -