The health effects of swimming at Sydney beaches. The Sydney Beach Users Study Advisory Group.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the study was to determine the health risks of swimming at ocean beaches in Sydney, Australia.


METHODS
From people attending 12 Sydney beaches in the period from December 5, 1989 to February 26, 1990, we recruited a cohort of 8413 adults who agreed to participate in this study. Of these, 4424 were excluded either because they had been swimming in the previous 5 days or because they reported a current illness. Of the remainder, 2839 successfully completed a follow-up telephone interview conducted within 10 days after recruitment. We recorded reported respiratory, gastrointestinal, eye, and ear symptoms and fever that occurred within the 10 days between initial interview on the beach and the follow-up interview.


RESULTS
A total of 683 participants (24.0%) reported experiencing symptoms in the 10 days following initial interview. Of these, 435 (63.7%) reported respiratory symptoms. Swimmers were almost twice as likely as nonswimmers to report symptoms. There was a linear relationship between water pollution and all reported symptoms with the exception of gastrointestinal complaints.


CONCLUSIONS
Swimmers at Sydney ocean beaches are more likely to report respiratory, ear, and eye symptoms than beachgoers who do not swim. The incidence of these symptoms increases slightly with increasing levels of pollution.
Corbett
S J
SJ
Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation Branch, New South Wales Health Department, Sydney, Australia.
Rubin
G L
GL
Curry
G K
GK
Kleinbaum
D G
DG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001493:Bathing Beaches; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D015817:Eye Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012623:Seawater; D012722:Sewage; D014505:Urban Population; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014876:Water Pollution
D012722:Sewage