Accident; analysis and prevention
-
Diving is the most frequent cause of spinal cord injury (SCI) from recreation and sport in Canada. This study was done to identify risk factors for SCI from diving in the province of Quebec. ⋯ The target for prevention of diving SCI is male youths and young adults. Above-ground pools are too shallow and small for diving. Deep ends of many in-ground pools are excessively shallow and short since many SCIs resulted from striking the up-slope. Prevention of SCI from diving needs to focus on education of potential victims, pool vendors and manufacturers, and regulations for safety norms in private pools. Water safety should highlight diving as a high-risk activity, and emphasize that most home pools and natural sites are unsafe. Safer evidence-based pool designs and more effective warnings need to be implemented.