Question

It is a bit of an obvious example to suggest that there is a relationship and probable correlation between air temperature and drownings. How might you do a formal study to demonstrate this? Could you project from this when there will be a peak of drowning accidents in a particular area of the country?

Answer 1

The number of drowning cases increases when more people go to swim or water sports and the more people opts for this, when air temperature increases. Hence, rise in air temperature, can be positively correlated with the number of drowning cases.
A formal study can be conducted by collected the data of number of drowning cases at different periods or seasons of the year, identified by the air temperature. Once the data between air temperature and the number of downing cases are collected, then regression analysis is conducted where the air temperature will be the independent variable and drowning cases will be the dependent variable.

On the basis of regression study, with each temperature level, no. of drowning cases can be projected. On this basis, the different locations where the people go for swimming or water games, can be identified and monitored. Each location has different temperatures and on this basis, people coming to these locations and subsequent probability of the drowning can be projected. Hence, the study can help to allocate the area on the basis of temperature for cases of drowning.