Constraints Impacting Minority Swimming Participation, Phase Two

An investigation by The University of Memphis explores the different variables that influence swim participation among underrepresented youth, particularly within metropolitan settings in the United States.

White children are most likely to report strong swimming skills, with 58 percent of those between 4 and 18 claiming the ability to swim more than a pool length. Meanwhile, 42 percent of Latino children, 34 percent of Asian children and 31 percent of African American children are able to claim the same ability, according to the study. Drowning rates among minority, particularly African American, youth occur at disproportionate rates. Fatal drowning rates for 5-to 14-year-old African Americans are more than three times higher than that for white children of the same age.

Child or parent fear of water, family swimming encouragement, swim skill, physical appearance and swim facility access are the key variables that impact swim participation. The fear of drowning is the strongest predictor of swim ability; African American and Latino respondents reported significantly higher fear than the other groups.

The investigation, published in May 2010, is the second phase of a study commissioned by USA Swimming and the USA Swimming Foundation as part of its water-safety initiative. Phase one of the study, which explored swim participation along demographic lines, was published in 2008.
 

Read the report.