Swimming is a profound source of joy in life. The impact of swimming competence extends beyond leisure, encompassing aquatic skills crucial for the prevention of drowning incidents. The World Health Organization (WHO) strongly advocates for the proactive initiative of teaching basic swimming and water safety skills to school-aged children, which is recognized as a direct and effective measure in mitigating the risk of drowning. This article aims to investigate and quantify aquatic skills and swimming competence in 9–10-year-old primary school children. A study was conducted throughout the academic year of 2021–2022, as an integral component within the primary schools' physical education. The study design was tailored to facilitate large-group assessment, encompassing children from 69 primary schools ( n = 2421) situated across three Norwegian municipalities. The assessments were administered upon the culmination of the fourth-grade learn-to-swim programs and carried out using the Swimming Competence Assessment Scale, involving six consecutive aquatic skills: water entry, swimming on the front, surface diving, float/rest, swimming on the back, and water exit. The results indicated that 62.5% of the children successfully met the predetermined criteria for swimming competence according to the Norwegian standard. Among the six assessed aquatic skills, proficiency in swimming on the front emerged as the most influential factor contributing to the overall competence level. This study emphasizes the pivotal role of swimming education for school-aged children. It highlights the need to prioritize swimming and water safety education, initiating children's learning journey toward being water-competent.

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9-10岁挪威小学生游泳能力：体育横断面研究

游泳是生活乐趣的重要源泉。游泳能力的影响不仅限于休闲，还包括对于预防溺水事件至关重要的水上技能。世界卫生组织（WHO）大力倡导积极主动地向学龄儿童教授基本游泳和水上安全技能，这被认为是降低溺水风险的直接有效措施。本文旨在调查和量化 9-10 岁小学生的水上技能和游泳能力。作为小学体育教育的一个组成部分，我们在 2021-2022 学年进行了一项研究。该研究设计旨在促进大群体评估，涵盖来自挪威三个城市的 69 所小学 (n = 2421) 的儿童。评估是在四年级游泳课程结束时进行的，并使用游泳能力评估量表进行，涉及六项连续的水上技能：入水、正面游泳、水面潜水、漂浮/休息、游泳背面和出水口。结果表明，62.5%的儿童成功达到了挪威标准规定的游泳能力标准。在评估的六项水上技能中，前线游泳熟练程度成为对整体能力水平影响最大的因素。这项研究强调了游泳教育对学龄儿童的关键作用。它强调需要优先考虑游泳和水上安全教育，启动儿童学习水上能力的旅程。