Diving-related injuries on the rise as sport becomes more popular

Olympic fans enjoying the diving displays at this summer's games in Beijing may have heard the story about one competitor's accident when she was a teen in training. Ten years ago, Nancilea Foster was badly injured in a diving accident that broke her jaw, knocked out nine teeth, shattered her cheek and sinus bones and caved in part of her nose. Foster was able to recover from her injuries to compete for the U.S. in the 3-meter springboard event (placing eighth), but not all diving mishaps end so happily.

According to a new study, there were more than 111,000 diving-related injuries to people under the age of 19 that required a trip to the emergency room from 1990 through 2006. Put another way, there is one such diving-related injury somewhere in America every 90 minutes or 6,500 annually.

Collision with a diving board or platform was the leading cause of injuries (44 percent) and the odds of injury caused by contact with the diving board increased dramatically if a child or adolescent was performing a flip, handstand or backward dive. Injuries to the head and neck (38 percent) and face (22 percent) were the most common. The most frequent diagnoses were lacerations (34 percent) and soft tissue injuries (24 percent), according to the study published in the August edition of the journal Pediatrics.

“Based on our findings, the largest age group of injured divers was 10- to 14-years-old," said study co-author Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and an associate professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. “Although this group made up the largest number of injured divers, 10- to 19-years-old were more at risk for an injury to the extremities. Boys were two times more likely to experience a head or neck injury or a fracture.”

Recreational and competitive divers alike are at risk. “There is a need for increased prevention efforts to lower the risks of diving-related injuries among children and adolescents,” says Lara McKenzie, principal investigator at CIRP and a co-author of the study. “The recent growth of the sport of diving, coupled with the increasing complexity and difficulty of dives, has resulted in a greater potential for both competitive and recreational diving-related injuries.” 

“Parents, pediatricians, coaches, lifeguards and trainers need to be aware of the types of injuries seen during recreational and competitive diving, as well as the risk factors,” says McKenzie, who is also an assistant professor at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

The study recommends these strategies for preventing diving-related injuries:

• Provide adult supervision and make sure a lifeguard is present.
• Make sure there are visible depth indicators around the pool.
• Install soft pool bottoms, if possible.
• Remove obstacles from swimming areas of lakes, rivers and oceans.
• Educate children about diving board safety.
• Educate children on proper diving techniques, especially when attempting new and unusual dives.
• Educate children to prevent them from jumping into shallow or cloudy water.
• Teach competitive divers stretching and strengthening to help prevent shoulder injuries.

The study—the first to examine recreational and competitive diving-related injuries—was based on data collected from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), which is operated by the  Consumer Product Safety Commission and  provides information on consumer product-related and sports and recreation-related injuries treated in hospital emergency departments in the United States.

More on diving safety

Swimming and diving safety tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Water safety tips from the American Red Cross.