Public holiday and long weekend mortality risk in Australia: A behaviour and usage risk analysis for coastal drowning and other fatalities

OBJECTIVE: This article aims to determine the impact of public holidays and long weekends on the risk of drowning and non-drowning deaths on the Australian coast. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study using relative risk ratios and Z-scores to compare all unintentional fatalities on the Australian coast between 2004 and 2021 to a longitudinal representative survey sample of the Australian public and their coastal usage. RESULTS: Overall, the coastal mortality risk increased by 2.03 times for public holidays (95%CI = 1.77-2.33, p<0.0001) and 2.14 times by long weekends (95%CI = 1.85-2.48, p<0.0001). Children <16 years had the highest increased risk of death on public holidays (RR = 3.53, 95%CI = 1.98-6.31, p = 0.0005) and long weekends (RR = 2.90, 95%CI = 1.43-5.89, p = 0.011), while residents who were born overseas had a higher risk of death compared to those born in Australia. For public holidays, the greatest increase in risk was for swimming/wading and bystander rescues, while for long weekends, it was for scuba diving and snorkelling. CONCLUSIONS: Public holidays and long weekends increase the risk of both drowning and non-drowning deaths on the Australian coast, which differed by demographics and activities. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: These results highlight periods of risk when targeted coastal safety messaging to high-risk demographics (particularly children and overseas-born residents), and provision of surf lifesaving resources can be increased.