A follow up study of diabetic camp activity on perceived self-efficacy and self-care behaviors in diabetic children.

This study aims to follow up the perceived self-efficacy and self-care behavior of diabetic control in diabetic children after attending a diabetic camp. The study involved twenty type-I diabetic children and adolescents age 10-19 years old. The data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed in percentage, mean, standard deviation and comparing the mean scores of perceived self-efficacy and self-care behavior behavior by using paired t-test and ANOVA. The results demonstrated that the children’s perceived self-efficacy of control of their diabetes before attending the camp, on the last day of self-efficacy in insulin injection was significantly different (P < .05). The children’s self-care behavior before attending the camp, on the lest day of the camp, and three months following the camp, were not different (P > .05), but it was found that self-care behavior in sugar control in daily life and in various special occasions were significantly different (P < .05 and P < .001 respectively). The diabetic control indicators HbA1C, triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol were better three months after attending the camp ; these improvements were statistically significant (P< .05, P < .01 and P < .01 respectively). It is recommended that diabetic children be encouraged to attend diabetic camp in order to develop self-efficacy, a crucial factor enabling diabetic children to practice appropriate self-care, in order to control their diseases and prevent complications.

The effects of participation in an obesity summer camp on perceived self-efficacy and weight control in obese Thai children.

Obesity is a condition that can play a very significant role on the health of children who are growing up into maturity. The effects of obesity include increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. Its major causes are excessive eating, lack of restraint, and easily gratifying their desire for tasty food. If an adjustment can be made to their perception and behavior so that they can define the volume of food consumed then these obese children are capable of monitoring their weight and are able to reduce the risk of illness as a consequence of obesity without needing weight control pills which can be detrimental to their health. The most important factor that can help to change obese children's behavior is their perceived self-efficiency in monitoring their weight by self-control practiced by dieting and balanced excercise using the support of other members of the obese children group. Participation in the summer camp for obese children has the following objectives to promote their perceived self-efficacy; to make an adjustment to their consumption and exercise behavior, and to make them aware of the effects of obesity. The activities of the project comprised of education relating to obese children and their parents, restriction of energy intake to 800 Kcal/d, participation in group activities and exercise e.g. swimming, aerobics, and visual education without administration of weight control tablets for 4 weeks, 5 days/week. After completing of the summer camp, group meetings were held occasionally to assess their perceived self-efficacy. The results of monitoring the behavior of 20 obese children participating in project with BMI ranging from 26-41 Kg/m2, with age range of 10-15 years, were assessed by data collection by questionnaires concerning perceived self-efficacy, a BMI Assessment Form, and the data analysed using paired t-test. The results of the assessment on the last day of the summer camp and 12 weeks after the late day found that obese children had an increased perceived self-efficacy at a statistically significant level of P<.001 on both occasions. It can be concluded therefore that participation in a summer camp by obese children made them have aware of their ability to control their weight and that they could decrease their weight without needing weight control pills.

Amino acid pattern in polytrauma patients: Non-sepsis patients.

Some studies of the protein metabolism in severely injured patients with sepsis are reported. Knowledge of changes in blood amino acid levels will improve patient management. A prospective study was performed in severely injured patients (ISS 20-40) admitted to ICU as trauma cases, at Siriraj Hospital between January 1993 and December 1994. Ten patients were involved : five non-sepsis patients and five sepsis patients. Blood samples were drawn for determining amino acids levels on the first day of injury, then 7 and day 14. Blood samples were also obtained from three normal non-trauma volunteers as the control group. After injury, amino acids levels increased, in most of the patients, especially serine and lysine which significantly increased, both in non-sepsis groups. Only the especially serine and lysine which significantly decreased in the non-sepsis group at day 14. The branched chain amino acids (valine, leucine, isoleucine) increases more than the aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan). Glutamic acid, for the functional maintenance of mucosal cells of the intestine, and arginine, the immune supporter, were found to have increased in the sepsis group.