title: Wet and wild: results from a pilot study assessing injuries among recreational water users in Western Australia.
abstract: To identify, describe and compare injuries among three water sport activities: kite surfing (KS), personal watercraft (PWC) and towed water sports (TWS). The study was a cross sectional, online survey. The setting was on Perth, Western Australia's popular beaches and riverbanks. Main outcome measures were number of injuries and level of severity; level of exposure and protection measures. Overall, 43% reported at least one injury in the past 12 months, a rate of 22.3 injuries per 100 h. Kite surfers were more likely to report an injury than PWC or TWS. One-half of injuries occurred while on the water. Most injuries were caused by landing awkwardly (56%) and/or trying new tricks (41%). Despite 90% of respondents having used at least one personal protective equipment (PPE) item, half (49%) reported always using a personal floatation device. This study provided information on KS, PWC and TWS injuries as well as a range of safety behaviours. It is recommended that these results form the basis of further research to reduce injury rates and encourage the use of PPE items.
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, Crawley. terrip@bigpond.com
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Pikora
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Braham
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mills
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011998:Recreation; D012307:Risk Factors; D012449:Safety / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D055815:Young Adult