Abstract

This study aimed to outline the epidemiological profile for the occurrences of death by drowning for the State of Rio Grande do Sul, based on secondary data from the General Institute of Forensics of Porto Alegre (IGP-RS). 1,325 recorded cases of this accident, which occurred between January 2012 and December 2021, were analyzed. The variables sex, age, months, years, municipalities, mesoregions, and environments of the registered cases were considered. The epidemiological profile points to adults in the age group of 20 to 59 years, males, as the most likely to this event. The months of December, January and February (summer season) stand out as the period of greatest occurrence. Among the 497 municipalities, 310 had occurrences of the accident in the period, with 14 municipalities standing out. The mesoregion that needs the most attention is the metropolitan one. Lotic environments had a higher incidence than lentic environments, with the Gravataí River and Guaíba Lake standing out. The results obtained can serve as a basis for promoting public safety and health policies, helping prevention actions, which are more effective to avoid death by drowning.