Injuries, Ill-Health and Fatalities in White Water Rafting and White Water Paddling
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REVIEW ARTICLE
Injuries, Ill-Health and Fatalities in White Water Rafting and White Water Paddling Iain Wilson • Hilary McDermott • Fehmidah Munir Eef Hogervorst
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Published online: 14 December 2012 Ó Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2012
Abstract White water (WW) activities such as paddling (canoeing and kayaking) and rafting are popular sports for recreational and professional participants. An increase in participation has been seen worldwide. However, these activities come with a risk of injury and even death if not conducted safely. A review was conducted to identify the types of injuries and ill-health that occur as a result of these activities. Injury and fatality rates were assessed to establish the risk attributed to these activities. Web of Science, PubMed, Ergonomics Abstracts and PsycINFO databases were searched and a total of 16 published articles were identified and reviewed. The shoulders and back were the most vulnerable sites for injury in WW paddling. Injuries to the face and lower limbs were most common in WW rafters. However, injury rates are low and estimates are discussed. Due to different methods used across the studies, the reported injury rates are not comparable. This review identified three illnesses incurred through WW activities. There may be more but these are not currently reported in the literature. A relative paucity of studies regarding
I. Wilson (&) H. McDermott Work and Health Research Centre, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, England e-mail: [email protected] F. Munir Centre for Global Health and Human Development, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, England E. Hogervorst Applied Cognitive Research Group, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, England
injuries and fatalities in WW activities was identified. Directions for future research are suggested and discussed.
1 Introduction Outdoor activities, mostly land and water based, have been used for recreational, educational, skill development and therapeutic purposes [1]. In the UK, it was estimated that between 10 and 15 million people participate in outdoor activities a year [1]. In 2009, between 60,500 and 88,000 employees worked within the outdoor industry sector to facilitate increasing participation rates [1]. Outdoor activities are also popular worldwide. In the US, almost half of the population have participated in some form of outdoor activity [2]. Similarly, 64% of New Zealand adults was estimated to have participated in at least one outdoor activity in 2008 [3]. Adventure activities, such as white water (WW) canoeing, kayaking and rafting have shown to be especially popular [2–4]. Although popular, outdoor activities do carry a risk of injury or, in rare cases, death [5, 6]. WW canoeing and kayaking, known as the umbrella term ‘WW paddling’, involves the use of a small craft
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