PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
Adolescents aged 15 to 19 years have the second highest fatal drowning rate of any age group, second only to toddlers aged 12 to 36 months. This risk is amplified in black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), and those of low socioeconomic status. Worcester, MA is a diverse city with over 40% of residents identifying as BIPOC and 20% living below the poverty line. The city has multiple natural bodies of water available for recreation, putting Worcester residents, particularly adolescents, at high risk of drowning. It is known that swimming lessons provided to adolescents significantly improve their swimming skills, however many programs are tailored to young children and are not appropriate for adolescents. Students from the University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan Medical School (UMass Chan), in collaboration with community partners, developed a water safety and swim education program tailored to Worcester adolescents as a means for an age-appropriate swim experience and education, community engagement, and injury prevention. Water Safe Worcester (WSW) was established as a city-wide injury prevention program that included swim lessons offered by medical students at the Central Community Branch YMCA in Worcester, MA. Instructors included UMass Chan medical students, graduate students, and staff. Adolescent YMCA members were invited to participate in lessons free of charge. Lessons were 90 min and emphasized a 3-fold approach: (1) expand knowledge of water safety and what to do in an emergency, (2) increase swimming skills, and (3) reduce fear of water. The overall attendance for the 2023 spring and summer sessions offered was 73 students, including multiple swimmers who attended more than one session. A total of 12 volunteers participated, which included 9 first-year medical students, one PhD student, one research assistant, and one surgery resident from UMass Chan. WSW demonstrated promising outcomes during its swim education classes, suggesting that WSW is a successful model to promote water safety, reduce the risk of drowning, and expand access to life-saving skills to Worcester\'s at-risk adolescents. This program serves as a critical step toward health equity while also providing an avenue for public health and injury prevention exposure for medical students.
摘要：
15至19岁的青少年在所有年龄组中致命溺水率第二高，仅次于12至36个月的幼儿。这种风险以黑色放大，土著,有色人种(BIPOC)以及社会经济地位较低的人。伍斯特,MA是一个多元化的城市，超过40％的居民被认定为BIPOC，20％的居民生活在贫困线以下。这个城市有多个天然水体可供娱乐，让伍斯特居民，尤其是青少年，溺水的风险很高。众所周知，向青少年提供游泳课程可以显着提高他们的游泳技能，然而，许多项目是为幼儿量身定制的，不适合青少年。麻省大学T.H.Chan医学院（UMassChan）的学生，与社区伙伴合作，制定了适合伍斯特青少年的水安全和游泳教育计划，作为适合年龄的游泳体验和教育的手段，社区参与,和伤害预防。伍斯特水安全（WSW）是一项全市范围的伤害预防计划，其中包括伍斯特中央社区基督教青年会的医学生提供的游泳课程，导师包括麻省医学院学生，研究生,和工作人员。基督教青年会青少年成员被邀请免费参加课程。课程为90分钟，并强调了3倍方法：（1）扩大对水安全的了解以及在紧急情况下该怎么做，（2）提高游泳技能，（3）减少对水的恐惧。2023年春季和夏季课程的总出勤率为73名学生，包括参加多次会议的多名游泳者。共有12名志愿者参加，其中包括9名一年级医学生，一个博士生,一名研究助理,还有一名来自麻省医学院的住院医师.WSW在游泳教育课程中表现出了有希望的结果，表明WSW是促进水安全的成功典范，降低溺水风险,并扩大伍斯特高危青少年获得救生技能的机会。该计划是迈向健康公平的关键一步，同时也为医学生的公共卫生和伤害预防暴露提供了途径。
