To the Editor: Silva and colleagues examined the effects of swimming pools on antibiotic use and clinic attendance for infections in two Aboriginal communities in Western Australia from 1998 to 2005.1 They concluded that swimming pools led to large decreases in clinic attendances for skin infections, respiratory tract infections, and antibiotic use.
In the absence of a control community (without a pool), these results could reflect documented secular trends in Aboriginal child health overall. For example, there was a 48% overall decline in hospitalisations for childhood pneumonia in four jurisdictions, including WA, between 1998 and 2005.2 This is not significantly different from the 52% reduction reported by Silva and colleagues.
Swimming pools in remote Aboriginal communities appear to have many benefits, including increased showering, school attendance and enjoyment among children. We believe that this study has not demonstrated a health impact of swimming pools in these communities that is different from trends elsewhere.
That said, swimming pools are a “public good” that should be available to all Australian children, especially those living in very hot places where there are few alternative recreational opportunities. Arguments about direct health benefits should not be a requirement for one group of disadvantaged Australians when we do not feel we need to make the same arguments for other Australian children.
