Introduction:
Swimming is not only a popular leisure activity and healthy sport, but also an important survival technique. Especially for children, the regular practice of swimming skills is important. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many children did not have the opportunity to attend swimming classes as part of their school physical education, and adults were also limited in their ability to practice swimming.

Objectives:
The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 restriction on swimming competence and practice of children.

Methods:
Swimming skills, swimming skill history, and frequency and duration of practice were inquired through two representative mixed-mode household surveys among the Austrian resident population in 2021 (n=2.320) and 2022 (n=2.004).

Results:
21% of the children and adolescents who already know how to swim acquired their skills at school, at least in addition to other means. Children from low-income families are particularly dependent on school swimming lessons. Before the pandemic, the swimming schedule in school for pupils up to 19 years of age comprised a total of approximately 6,200,000 hours per semester. In the first year of the pandemic, about 4,200,000 swimming hours per semester were lost. In the second year of the pandemic, about 2.1 million swimming hours per semester did not take place. Although the share of reported non-swimmers in children (of about 10%) has not significantly changed from 2021 to 2022, negative impacts on swimming skills in those children are likely if the number swimming lessons in school does not reach the pre-pandemic level, soon.

Conclusion:
Being able to swim can be essential for survival. Efforts must be made to raise the capacity of swimming lessons in schools again to pre-pandemic level, at least. Thus, ensuring sufficient swimming skills for children, especially for children from low-income families.

Keywords: Water Safety, Drowning Prevention, Swimming Skills, COVID-19

KFV (Austrian Road Safety Board) - Vienna  - Austria