Family Diabetes Camp: Fostering Resiliency Among Campers and Parents.

Youth with diabetes frequently have limited access to traditional camps because of the need for accessible medical staff. With organized camping becoming more specialized with regard to meeting the needs of youth, there is an increased interest in developing and examining the efficacy of programs that serve individuals in specific illness groups, such as youth with type 1 diabetes. In a collaborative effort between a local university, a diabetes center of a local hospital, and the Lions Club, a diabetes camp was created to assist youth in the management of their diabetes. Data were collected over the 3-day family diabetes camp through three approaches: a pre- and post-program resiliency-based questionnaire, the 14-item Camper Learning Scale, and open-ended questions for parents of children with diabetes who were involved in camp. Wilcoxon t tests were used to analyze any differences between pre- and post-program scores on resiliency. The results indicated a positive increase of parents' perceptions of their child's resiliency (Z = -1.833, P = 0.67). Findings from the Camper Learner Scale indicated that 77.14% of campers felt they "learned a little" or "learned a lot" about crucial youth development outcomes (e.g., independence). Finally, direct content analysis of the qualitative measures indicated several themes among parent respondents, which were generalized into three categories: motivation, community, and challenges. Diabetes camps and family diabetes camps have a great opportunity to address some of the challenges young people face while living with the second most common chronic illness facing youth.

Organized camping: a historical perspective.

Organized camping has been part of the fabric of American culture for more than 150 years. Today, organized camps serve more than 11 million youth annually, a significant departure from the first camps that were created to address the challenges of urban living during the Industrial Revolution. This article provides a brief historical perspective of organized camp and its evolution.

Medical specialty camps for youth with diabetes.

Camps for children with medical conditions have been in existence for decades. With the advent of new medical technology and research advances, children with medical illnesses are living long lives with chronic conditions. Camp provides an ideal setting to help these youth manage and cope with their disease. Using camps for children who have diabetes as a model, this article reviews the history of medical specialty camps and the psychosocial and medical aspects of the disease that are unique to this population and describes the intentional programming and special considerations within this camping environment. The article concludes with a review of research and recent studies conducted at camps for youth who have diabetes that investigate the benefits of these specialized camping programs.