Swimming pool owners' opinions of strategies for prevention of drowning

Training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation for pool owners and mandatory placement of a barrier around pools, two commonly suggested strategies for prevention of drowning, will depend, in part, on the support of pool owners to be successfully implemented. To measure this support, an equal probability sample of 795 Sacramento County households with pools was surveyed. An 80% response rate was achieved. A large majority (86%) favored voluntary cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, and a plurality (40%) favored required cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification for pool owners. However, 61% opposed a universal barrier requirement, and 49% objected to a barrier requirement for new pools only. Respondents with small children at home were more likely (P = .0001) to support a required barrier. The previous occurrence of a significant immersion event had surprisingly little effect. The results suggest some specific directions for programs to prevent swimming pool drownings.