African American Children are at greater risk for Drowning.
By drknlvly6781
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
United States
May 2, 2008 9:26am CST
I saw this on the news ticker this morning on Fox 19. There was a recent study done by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about child drownings. It said, that African-American children are the most at risk to drown.
When I first saw this, I thought it had to be a mistake. This is the first study of its kind to be done, so I felt that there must be some bias contained in this study. I got up and looked the study up on the internet, and found myself at the CDC website.
Turns out, at least from my end, that the findings are pretty much true. The study states that of all races here in the United States, African Americans report the least swimming ability. I know that to be true, because I have heard a lot of my African-American friends say at one point or another that they could not swim. I do know how, but I was self-taught, so my ability is limited.
We also have less programs available to us in the inner city that teaches people how to swim, despite having many city pools available for use.
I was ready for a rant this morning, but the findings seem pretty solid. What do you think, are these findings true? If so, what do we need to do as a community to help these statistics even out?
CDC Water Related Injuries Facts:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/drown.htm
3 people like this
11 responses
@theprogamer (10532)
• United States
2 May 08
I read this yesterday. It is a sad state of affairs and I believe its close enough to accurate. There is also less opportunity for swimming and swim lessons... another sad assessment. More volunteer work, city based programs and water safety would all help.
2 people like this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
2 May 08
I am always a day late and a dollar short when it comes to you pro lol! But you are right, it wouldn't cost cities that much more to provide swimming lessons during the Summer at the local pools. A little more for a certified instructor maybe, but that's it. And they could charge a nominal fee for the learners to cover that in no time.
@cyntrow (8523)
• United States
2 May 08
I grew up in a beach town. I did notice that black adults were less adept swimmers than their white counterparts, in general. However, when I went to visit my grandparents, in the south, I noticed that blacks ans whites were equally adept at swimming in the lake. From this, I just don't know the answer to your question. I guess it would be understood if they grew up in cities, to not be great swimmers. In the country and the ocean, swimming would be more necessary. I would suggest that whites and latinos in the cities would also be less adept swimmers. I guess I'm saying that anyone growing up in a big city would be less adept swimmers regardless of race or nationality.
Hope that made at least a bit of sense
1 person likes this
@cyntrow (8523)
• United States
2 May 08
But that is my point. I live and grew up fairly close to Washington DC. All of my friends in the District, regardless of race and nationality could not swim. They loved to frolic and play, but they could not swim. My friends, regardless of race who grew up in rural areas, swam like fish. My beach friends were hit or miss because my home was a tourist, summer place. And it really depended upon where they grew up. I do think that more kids of minority parents grow up in cities. And they vacation at amusement parks.
I think my point is that to say that more minorities cannot swim is more regional than race and nationality. More non minorities live out of the cities. I think a better sociological specimen would be to choose people of different ethnic and racial groups from various regions, and then take a medium. I think the outcome would be much different.
I hope I a making a bit of sense. LOL Thanks.
1 person likes this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
3 May 08
You made perfect sense the first time cyn. I was actually agreeing with you.
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
2 May 08
Actually, your assumption is a little off. Its mostly blacks, latinos, and other minorities in the cities that are less adept at swimming.
That does make sense though. More people in rural areas do more swimming in the lakes as a recreation, so they would have more chance to learn how to swim as opposed to their city counterparts.
@slickcut (8140)
• United States
3 May 08
Since i have never been able to swim and i am so afraid of water because of that,i feel all children should be taught to swim...I do not know about Race but it does not matter i think all children should be taught...I am not sure why it is just african American children ,but that should is not right and i really do not know why...There should be a program for children who cannot swim ,to teach them,it is awful for anyone really not to be able to swim...
1 person likes this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
3 May 08
I'm starting to figure out there is a bias here. Its not just the Afro-American children, they are just the majority. They are saying in the study that its a number of minorities, with Afro-Americans being the largest. What I believe it is, is that the inner city children have less opportunity to go swimming, and that is why their ability is much less than children who live in rural areas. And we all know what the major concentration of races are in the inner city. So I don't believe its a racial thing, its more of a culture thing.
@checapricorn (16060)
• United States
2 May 08
I guess, before they release this information, it has valid proof on it! and In my Country too, a lot of people basically don't know how to swim, maybe as early as Elementary, it should be part of the educational curriculum at least it will be easy to impart the skills when we start teaching then at an early age! Like it will be included in the program of the physical education!
1 person likes this
@checapricorn (16060)
• United States
2 May 08
I see, maybe they can start to solicit from any public officials to attend to this need! I'm sure they will not refuse to help once it's for the best of the people of the area!
1 person likes this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
3 May 08
That is a nix. Seems like the only way they can get money for Cincinnati Public is to raise property taxes. We are supposed to be getting monies from the state lottery, but I don't see where that is going. It had been a number of years that Cincinnati Public was asking for a tax raise, but it was just this March that the people allowed that levy to pass. I know it will be a long time before another one gets through.
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
2 May 08
Years ago it used to be part of the curriculum in Cincinnati Public Schools, but they have taken that out long ago. Most of the schools now don't have pools, and even if they do, they are in such disrepair that the schools have just closed them. There isn't enough money to go around for books these days, let alone repairing pools.
@moneyandgc (3428)
• United States
2 May 08
I don't think I know anyone that has had formal swimming lessons. We all taught ourselves to swim too.
We grew up being taken to the beach and when we were a little older my parents got a swimming pool. But there were never any lessons.
My husband was 24 when we met. He is of mostly Mexican heritage and grew up in New Mexico. He never learned to swim and couldn't even tread water when we met.
I found this to be amazing; only because I guess I thought swimming just came naturally. Well, unless you are afraid of it. He didn't have a fear of water...just couldn't swim. He just didn't have the opportunity to practice much as a kid I think.
I worked with him and now he does pretty good. 
We looked into baby swimming classes for our 2 year old because my parents and have pool and a pond. She is afraid of nothing!
They are really expensive though. We will just have to do our best to try and teach her and keep an extra, extra close eye on her!
I have a pretty big fear of leaving her with anyone as it is; the water just makes me not want to leave her there even more! Not that my family wouldn't watch her...but it only takes a couple of seconds for her to get away now! We rarely leave her anyway.
We looked into baby swimming classes for our 2 year old because my parents and have pool and a pond. She is afraid of nothing!
They are really expensive though. We will just have to do our best to try and teach her and keep an extra, extra close eye on her!
I have a pretty big fear of leaving her with anyone as it is; the water just makes me not want to leave her there even more! Not that my family wouldn't watch her...but it only takes a couple of seconds for her to get away now! We rarely leave her anyway. @lala766 (239)
• United States
6 May 08
I know these findings are true. I am African-American and I did not learn how to swim until I was 15. My parents did not know how to swim and when we were younger whenever we went near water my parents would freak! When I learned how to swim I was ecstatic. I now love swimming. I made sure that my kids learned how to swim at an early age. A few summers ago we were at the beach and a little black boy almost drowned his grandmother was with him but all she could do was stand at the shore crying and she kept saying "I cant swim" thankfully the lifeguard did rescue him. A lot of my relatives who live in big cities can not swim and neither can their kids. Hopefully some of the communitty centers in urban areas will offer swimming lessons so that all kids can learn how to swim.
1 person likes this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
6 May 08
I know these findings are true, but they are a bit skewed. First, they did not include all races, just African-Americans, Caucasians, American Indians, and Alaskan natives. Second, I don't believe they took into consideration the fact that inner city children don't have as much chance to learn as rural children do. I have half a mind to write these people that have done this study, but I don't know where to send it. I also want to know that since they have found this out, supposedly, what do they plan to do about it.
@lucy02 (5015)
• United States
2 May 08
Well I can't swim a lick! I think its a good idea for everybody to know and I probably should learn myself but I feel like I'm too old now. The only thing I could say would be to offer more swimming classes. When I was younger I frequently saw swimming classes listed in the paper but I don't anymore.
1 person likes this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
2 May 08
In my area, there are very few classes that I have seen being offered, and most were at very outrageous prices. No wonder the minority community can't swim, we can't afford it!!! If they would make the classes more available, and come down on the price, this trend would change.
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
4 May 08
I neither agree or disagree with this, as I have not read the article. I and my two sisters do not know how to swim, but I have always believed that we were in the minority. We did not learn to swim as children, because my mother was very protective of us.
I will also say that I had an experience at the age of about twelve where I almost drowned. Because of that, I am now afraid to learn. But as I said before, I do not know a lot of African Americans who can not swim and I have lived with all different kinds of people from my teenage years. I say, if they do not know how to swim, keep them away from the pool or on the shallow side.
1 person likes this
@dreamy1 (3811)
• United States
2 May 08
I heard this on the news last night. It could be a lot of reasons one being no access to pools. If they are living in the inner city that lacks resources I doubt much money will be spent on having pools let alone rec centers. There are no pools in schools and gym classes are probably non existent. A lot of AA youth are focused on other sports such as basketball and football. I mean come on can you sign a million dollar contract doing laps? Many probably don't have pools in their backyards or have neighbors or friends with pools in their backyards either.
1 person likes this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
3 May 08
I have to disagree with you a little dreamy. In the inner city there are plenty of pools, its just there aren't any people there giving swimming classes. As blkcat said earlier, they are more there for beating the heat, as opposed to teaching people how to swim.
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
2 May 08
I have no doubt that the findings are true. I don't think they would have put it out there if it were not. I know the public pool where I grew up you only had to pass a swimming test to go into the deep end of the pool, but you can drown in shallow water too. I think that every public swimming pool should have some sort of basic swimming course for children and adults before they are allowed to swim in the pool.
1 person likes this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
2 May 08
Its even worse here. They don't do a swimming test at any of the public pools I have been to. Just buy a token, and you can swim. I have only taken a swimming test at the Boys and Girls club. How is that supposed to help anyway? Did they mark it on a card or something, because I know there was more than one lifeguard, and they don't know everyone that comes into the pool, or whether they took the test or not.
You are right, it wouldn't take much to have a swimming class at the local pools. Maybe a little more money for a certified instructor, but that's it. They could hold it at a certain time each day, and people could learn to swim.
