| Abstract ID |
| 20260041 |
| Category |
| Sports Medicine: Exercise Medicine |
| Preferable Presentation |
| Oral Presentation |
| Title |
| THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A 4-WEEK TREADING WATER PROGRAMME ON THE CHILDREN'S SWIMMING COMPETENCE: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL |
| Author |
|
| Presenter |
| Yat Nam suen |
| Abstract |
| Background Drowning can occur rapidly, often within 20 – 60 seconds, and remains one of the leading causes of accidental death among children worldwide. In Hong Kong, 46% of drowning cases are associated with swimming activities prior to the incident, underscoring the importance of equipping children with skills that allow them to remain above water during unexpected immersion. While basic swimming lessons and water-safety education form the foundation to prevent most drowning or near drowning episode, these approaches may not be sufficient to prepare children to manage real aquatic emergencies. Treading water is a fundamental survival skill that enables a child to maintain a vertical position with head above water, extending the time available for rescue, and reducing the likelihood of rapid submersion. However, existing drowning prevention programmes vary widely in structure and many rely on self-reported assessments of aquatic competence. Learn-to-swim programmes often emphasise stroke development, yet little is known about whether these programmes can effectively improve children’s actual treading-water ability. This highlights the need for a targeted programme that directly develops this essential survival skill, which may play a critical role in preventing fatal and non-fatal drowning incidents. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a 4‑week Treading Water Programme (TWP) on children’s swimming competence and their ability to tread water. Study Design & Methods A double‑blinded, randomized controlled trial was conducted among 15 children aged 5–10 years (Male = 53.3%, Female = 46.7%) recruited from a local swimming club in Hong Kong. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group (N = 8) or the control group (N = 7). The intervention group completed a 4‑week face‑to‑face TWP with drowning prevention education, while the control group received a drowning prevention information sheet and regular swimming training. The swimming competence index (SCI) was assessed using a validated instructor‑led Swimming Competence Questionnaire, and the treading water duration (TWD) was measured using a handheld stopwatch. All outcomes were evaluated at baseline and immediately post‑intervention, and group differences in change scores were analysed, using non‑parametric tests with a significance level of p < .05. Results The intervention group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in both SCI (Z = 2.045, p < .05) and TWD (Z= 3.347, p < .001) compared with the control group, indicating improvements in their overall swimming proficiency and duration of treading water. Conclusions The 4‑week TWP effectively improved children’s overall swimming competence and, importantly, their ability to tread water, a critical survival skill that can extend floating time and reduce the likelihood of rapid submersion during aquatic emergencies. These findings support the integration of structured treading‑water training into drowning prevention and learn-to-swim programmes. Future research should investigate longer intervention durations and the programme’s applicability to children with lower baseline swimming proficiency to better understand its long-term benefits and practice impact on water safety. |