Top

BMC Public Health

Published in:

Open Access 01-12-2022 | Research

A qualitative study of the causes and circumstances of drowning in Uganda

Authors: Anthony Buyinza Mugeere, Frederick Oporia, Olive Kobusingye

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2022

Abstract

Background

Drowning is a serious worldwide and preventable injury problem, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The aim of this paper is to draw on the results of semi-structured interviews with witnesses, family members and friends of persons involved in fatal and nonfatal drowning incidents to describe the circumstances of drowning in both lakeside and non-lakeside districts and to identify potential contextually appropriate interventions for drowning prevention and surveillance in Uganda.

Methods

The findings presented in this study were based on data collected from study participants selected through purposive sampling comprising 324 individual face-to-face interviews with drowning witnesses, family members, friends of and survivors of drowning and ten (10) focus group discussions held with community members in 14 districts in Uganda. Data analysis was done using the Framework Analysis Approach with the aid of the Microsoft Atlas ti software (version 8) program.

Results

The study results reveal a range of circumstances under which drowning occurs in Uganda, poor record keeping of drowning incidents, fear of reporting drowning incidences to the authorities, challenges in preventing drowning and proposed strategies for mitigating the problem.

Conclusions

This study found that there is no specialized record keeping system for drowning cases in Uganda and where such records are kept, the system is entirely manual (in hard copy form) with no electronic storage of data. Secondly, the drowning cases reported to police posts and stations in various parts of the country are not transmitted to the district headquarters and national database. These and other conclusions not only provide valuable insights into understanding of drowning circumstances but also the key policy and programme interventions for water-based economic activities such as fishing and public water transportation in Uganda and other LMICs.

WHO. 2020. Global report on drowning: preventing a leading killer. Retrieved on 7 Mar 2021 from http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/global_report_drowning/Final_report_full_web.pdf.

Franklin RC, Peden AE, Hamilton EB, Bisignano C, Castle CD, Dingels ZV, et al. The burden of unintentional drowning: global, regional and national estimates of mortality from the global burden of disease 2017 Study. Inj Prev. 2020;26(Supp 1):i83–95. https://doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2019-043484 Epub 2020 Feb 20; PMID: 32079663 PMCID: PMC7571364.

Linnan M, Rahman A, Scarr J, Reinten-Reynolds T, Linnan H, Rui-wei J, Finkelstein, E. Child drowning: Evidence for a newly recognized cause of child mortality in low and middle income countries in Asia. UNICEF Office of Research, Florence. 2012. https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/drowning.pdf.

Linnan M, Scarr J, Giersing M. Toward a world where children do not drown. JAMA Pediatr. 2013;167(2):110–1. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.948.CrossRefPubMed

WHO. 2014. Global report on drowning: preventing a leading killer. Retrieved on 18 May 2021 from http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/global_report_drowning/Final_report_full_web.pdf.

Cenderadewi M, Franklin RC, Peden AE, Devine S. Fatal intentional drowning in Australia: a systematic literature review of rates and risk factors. PLoS ONE. 2020;15(5):e0231861. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231861.

Whitworth HS, Pando J, Hansen C, et al. Drowning among fishing communities on the Tanzanian shore of lake Victoria: a mixed-methods study to examine incidence, risk factors and socio-economic impact. BMJ Open. 2019;9: e032428. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032428.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Woodhead L. Women and religion. In Woodhead L, Fletcher P, Kawanami H, Smith DJ (Eds.), Religions in the modern world: traditions and transformations. Routledge. 2002. p. 332–56.

Ahlm K, Lindqvist P, Saveman BI, Bjornstig U. Suicidal drowning deaths in northern Sweden 1992–2009—the role of mental disorder and intoxication. J Forensic Leg Med. 2015;34:168–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jflm.2015.06.002 PMID: 26165679.CrossRefPubMed

10.

Ljiljana SS, Aleksandar PP, Jovan BZ, Zorica NZ, Snezana SF, SlaZana VT. Accidental drowning: the importance of early measures of resuscitation for a successful outcome. Case Rep Emerg Med. 2018;2018:7525313. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/7525313.CrossRef

11.

Maitland SK, Kiguli RO, Opoka E. Mortality after fluid bolus in African children with severe infection. N Engl J Med. 2011;364(26):2483–95.CrossRefPubMed

12.

Peden AE, Franklin RC, Leggat PA. Alcohol and its contributory role in fatal drowning in Australian rivers, 2002–2012. Accid Anal Prev. 2017;98:259–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2016.10.009.CrossRefPubMed

13.

Kobusingye O. Injuries, drowning and boat safety in sub-Saharan Africa. Interview published in think tank global health. 2019. Retrieved on 3 July 2021 from: https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/injuries-drowning-and-boat-safety-sub-saharan-africa.

14.

Baike BP. Drowning : the neglected killer drowning : the neglected killer, (March edition). 2019. Retrieved on 17 Feb 2020 from: https://www.newvision.co.ug/news/1497052/drowning-neglected-killer.

15.

Great D, Of L, Problem N, Drowning B, To A, Print M. Abstracts 04, 18. 2012.132–133. Retrieved on 6 June 2020 from: https://doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2012-040590h.4.

16.

Uganda Bureau of Statistics. 2016. The national population and housing census 2014 – main report, Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved on 30 Apr 2020 from https://www.ubos.org/datasets/

17.

Ritchie J, Spencer L. Qualitative data analysis for applied policy research by Jane Ritchie and Liz Spencer. In: Bryman A, Burgess RG, editors. Analysing qualitative data. London: Routledge; 1994. p. 173–94.CrossRef

18.

Roller MR, Lavrakas P. Applied qualitative research design: a total qualitative framework approach. New York: Guildford Press; 2015.

19.

Colombiana E, Julio DI. Qualitative data analysis with ATLAS. ti, por Susanne Friese. 2016. https://doi.org/10.17583/qre.2016.2120.

20.

Data AE. HHS Public Access. 2016;45(1):1–40. https://doi.org/10.1177/0081175015578740.BEYOND.

21.

Awasthi KR, Jancey J, Clements ACA, Leavy JE. A qualitative study of knowledge, attitudes and perceptions towards malaria prevention among people living in rural upper river valleys of Nepal. PLoS ONE. 2022;17(3): e0265561. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265561.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

22.

Saunders CJ, Robyn A, Simons A, Ashley VN. Fatal drowning in the Western Cape, South Africa: a 7-year retrospective, epidemiological study. Inj Prev. 2019;2(25):529–34. https://doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2018-042945.CrossRef

23.

Kone S, Fürst T, Jaeger FN, Esso EL, Baïkoro N, Kouadio KA, Utzinger J. Causes of death in the Taabo health and demographic surveillance system, Côte d’Ivoire, from 2009 to 2011. Glob Health Action. 2015;8(1):27271.

24.

Mamady K, Yao H, Zhang X, Xiang H, Tan H, Hu G. The injury mortality burden in Guinea. BMC Public Health. 2012;12(1):733.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

25.

Seleye-Fubara D, Nicholas EE, Esse I. Drowning in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria: an autopsy study of 85 cases. Niger Postgrad Med J. 2012;19(2):111–4.PubMed

26.

Weldearegawi B, Ashebir Y, Gebeye E, Gebregziabiher T, Yohannes M, Mussa S, Abebe Z. Emerging chronic non-communicable diseases in rural communities of Northern Ethiopia: evidence using population-based verbal autopsy method in Kilite Awlaelo surveillance site. Health Policy Plan. 2013;28(8):891–8.CrossRefPubMed

27.

Moshiro C, Mswia R, Alberti KG, Whiting DR, Unwin N, Setel PW. The importance of injury as a cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa: results of a community-based study in Tanzania. Public Health. 2001;115(2):96–102.PubMed

28.

Miller L, Alele FO, Emeto TI, Franklin RC. Epidemiology, risk factors and measures for preventing drowning in Africa: a systematic review. Medicina. 2019;55:637. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina55100637.CrossRefPubMedCentral

29.

Tyler MD, Richards DB, Reske-Nielsen C, et al. The epidemiology of drowning in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review. BMC Public Health. 2017;17:413. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4239-2.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

30.

Bierens JJ, Uitslager R, Swenne-van Ingen MM, van Stiphout WA, Knape JT. Accidental hypothermia: incidence, risk factors and clinical course of patients admitted to hospital. Eur J EmergMed. 1995;2:38–46.CrossRef

Title: A qualitative study of the causes and circumstances of drowning in Uganda
Authors: Anthony Buyinza Mugeere
Frederick Oporia
Olive Kobusingye
Publication date: 01-12-2022
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2022
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14461-6

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

A qualitative study of the causes and circumstances of drowning in Uganda

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2022

InterMob: a 24-month randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of an intervention including behavioural change techniques and free transport versus an intervention including air pollution awareness-raising on car use reduction among regular car users living in Grenoble, France

Health-related selection into employment among the unemployed

Determining factors associated with cholera disease in Ethiopia using Bayesian hierarchical modeling

Influence of occupational exposure on hyperuricemia in steelworkers: a nested case–control study

The influence of clinic care on perceptions and knowledge of non-communicable diseases and physical activity from a low-resourced community: a mixed-method study

Global trend and risk factors of the disease burden for pharynx and larynx cancers between 1990 and 2019: a systematic analysis of the global burden of disease study 2019