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Table 1 Estimated percent of the population that engages in each activity, and the number of water recreators and person-days of water activity

From: Estimate of incidence and cost of recreational waterborne illness on United States surface waters

Activity

% of population 16 and overa

Millions of Recreators 16 and overb

(C90)

% of population under 16c

Millions of recreators under 16d

(C90)

Mean days per recreator

(C90)a

Millions of person days

(C90)

Swimming

41.5 (40.9–42.0)

96. 9 (96.1–97.7)

88.8 (88.0–89.5)

56.3

(55.8–56.7)

12.6

(12.3–12.9)

1928.9

(1882.2–1976.9)

Kayaking

6.0 (5.8–6.3)

14.1 (13.7–14.4)

1.7 (1.6–1.7)

1.1

(1.0–1.1)

5.6

(5.3–6.0)

84.4

(78.5–91.2)

Rowing

4.0 (3.8–4.2)

9.3 (9.4–9.3)

1.3 (1.2–1.3)

0.8

(0.8–0.8)

5.5

(5.0–6.0)

55.8

(54.1–57.6)

Canoeing

9.7 (9.4–10.0)

22.7 (22.2–23.1)

4.9 (4.8–5.0)

3.1

(3.1–3.2)

4.7

(4.5–4.9)

121.1

(115.6–126.8)

Motor boating

23.4 (22.9–23.9)

54.7 (53.9–55.4)

12.7

(12.5–12.8)

8.0

(7.9–8.1)

11.9

(11.2–12.3)

745.8

(719.0–772.7)

Fishing e

23.7 (23.2–23.9)

55.3 (54.6–56.1)

32.3

(31.7–32.6)

20.4

(20.1–20.6)

14.6

(14.1–15.2)

1105.1

(1057.9–1152.3)

Total

     

4.041

  1. aCordell 2012 [1]
  2. b Estimated based of US noninstitutionalized population 16 and over (233.5 million) in 2007 [15]
  3. c Estimated number of recreators under 16/Estimated US population under 16 (63.3 million in 2007) [15]
  4. d Estimated based on the proportion of children under 16 in NEEAR and CHEERS and the number of adult recreators in the US population
  5. e Assuming warm water fishing