The study showed a low level of knowledge of Russians about safety on the water

Despite their high level of swimming skills, Russians do not know the rules of behavior in dangerous situations on the water well enough. This is stated in a study by the NAFI analytical center and the Freediving Federation, which was reviewed by Izvestia on April 4.

Swimming is one of the most common physical skills among Russians. It is owned by three quarters (76%) of Russian residents. This sport is second in prevalence only to the ability to ride a bicycle (89%).

Interestingly, one in five (22%) cannot swim. They are more often residents of small towns (with a population of up to 50,000 people — 27%), women (29%), and people with low incomes (27%).

At the same time, the level of training of Russian swimmers remains high. The majority stated that they swim well (59%), both for short distances (35%) and long distances (24%). People who consider themselves the best-trained swimmers are more common among young people aged 18-24 (46%), men (35%), and residents of the Southern Federal District (40%).

According to the survey, 63% of respondents have found themselves in risky situations at least once while relaxing by the water. Russians named alcohol intoxication (53%), panic (44%), lack of swimming and endurance skills (37%), swimming in prohibited places (35%), as well as natural phenomena, including underwater currents and storms (26%), among the main causes of accidents.

Duck stories: what is the danger of swimming in polluted water

Doctors told us what health problems can be earned if you do not follow personal hygiene.

At the same time, only 22% of respondents understand well how to act if a person is drowning. Another 69% have only a general idea of the necessary actions, and one in ten admitted that they do not know how to behave in such a situation. Young people aged 18-24 and men are the best at this issue.

The study also showed a high demand for training: 78% of Russians would like to receive more information about safety rules on the water. The topics of behavior in non-standard situations (62%), self-rescue in open water (58%) and rescue of drowning people (45%) are of the greatest interest.

Separately, analysts noted the role of the family in the formation of skills. Among parents of minor children, 67% reported that their children can swim, and in almost half of the cases, education takes place in a family environment. Thus, 48% of parents teach their children on their own, 28% of children learn skills on their own, and 22% study with professional coaches.

When choosing the conditions for classes, parents are most often guided by the professionalism of the coach (52%), the availability of security controls (26%) and adapted training programs (27%). At the same time, infrastructure, including the condition of swimming pools, is less important — only 18% of respondents noted this factor.

General practitioner Nadezhda Chernyshova warned that while swimming in the pool, you can encounter various viruses and infections, including rotavirus and fungal diseases. According to her, poisoning can occur with excessive use of chlorine during disinfection, and with a lack of it, the risk of bacterial growth increases.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.