Public Health Implications: Drowning Disparities and Water Competency

The absence of accessible aquatic infrastructure has had direct consequences on drowning disparities in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023) reports that Black children ages 5–19 drown in swimming pools at rates more than five times higher than White children of the same age. This disparity is not solely individual but inter-generational: Parents who were denied access to pools often cannot teach water skills to their children, perpetuating cycles of low water competency (Irwin et al., 2009).

Water competency, defined as the combination of skills, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors necessary for safe interaction with aquatic environments (Stallman et al., 2017), is critical for preventing drowning. Yet, competency is unequally distributed along lines of race and class due to differences in access to formal swim instruction, safe facilities, and early exposure to water (Gilchrist & Parker, 2014). Beyond drowning, limited access to pools and water recreation contributes to physical inactivity, mental health disparities, and diminished community cohesion (Gay, 2023).