Abstract:
There is plenty of evidence of the propensity of young New Zealanders to engage in aquatic activity for recreation. Preliminary findings on youth recreation show that swimming was the most popular out-of-school active leisure activity for both boys and girls (SPARC, 2002). While participation in aquatic activity is generally perceived as a positive indicator of a healthy New Zealand lifestyle, it is not without risk. The issue of water safety is especially relevant to youth of Pacific Island origins (hereafter referred to as Pasifika) because proportionally more fall into the high-risk children and youth categories than other ethnic groups within the population.