Application of non-pharmaceutical interventions in camps following the onset of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: As the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in the United States in the spring and summer of 2020, many organizations serving children and youth immediately faced significant operational and healthcare challenges. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance for the safe operation of youth programmes emphasized the importance of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), yet few studies have examined NPI usage in summer programmes such as camps. METHOD: This sequential explanatory mixed-methods study explored the utilization of NPIs among camp healthcare providers who completed an online questionnaire followed by one-on-one interviews. RESULTS: The study findings indicated that camps consistently used a core set of NPIs to maintain and protect the health of camp participants, including screening, cohorting, hand hygiene, sanitizing practices, ventilation and physical distancing. The study findings further identified specific practices of camp healthcare providers that made NPI utilization possible, as exemplified in the emergent themes of wellness promotion; health awareness and modelling; and camp health service mobilization. CONCLUSION: NPI usage benchmarks from this study, as well as effective practices for NPI utilization, can inform the application of NPIs and other health-promoting practices across diverse formal and informal youth settings.

Cultivating knowledge of resiliency and reintegration among military youth through a national youth leadership program.

Youth in military families are frequently challenged by the adjustment demands associated with the deployment and reintegration of a parent. A positive youth development approach was undertaken by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to develop and implement a Military Teen Ambassadors (MTA) training for youth in military families that would facilitate knowledge of resiliency and reintegration and foster leadership skills to build assets for themselves as well as their peers within their local communities. To determine if MTA was functioning as intended and to refine future programming, this preliminary formative study assessed perceived participant learning outcomes associated with MTA on variables pertaining to knowledge acquisition, perceived skill acquisition, and community needs awareness. Data were collected prior to the training, immediately following the training, and 6 months after the training. Repeated measures analysis indicated significant mean increases over time in knowledge and awareness of resiliency and reintegration; perceived leadership skills; and community awareness. Qualitative findings provided triangulation in the aforementioned areas. These findings strengthen the body of knowledge on resiliency by demonstrating that the 7 Cs model may be an effective strategy to incorporate into leadership development programs seeking to build knowledge of resiliency among military youth. Study limitations, lessons learned, and recommendations for further research are delineated.

A randomized study of CrossFit Kids for fostering fitness and academic outcomes in middle school students.

Within the context of school-based physical education (PE), a strength and conditioning program called CrossFit Kids (CFK) has emerged as a potential intervention for positively impacting students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate through a randomized-controlled trial how academic and health-related fitness outcomes differed for middle school students (age = 12.73; 55.3 % male) who participated in a school-based CFK program (n=72) as compared to a group of students who participated in PE class (n=72). Questionnaire data were collected twice across the 9-month academic year and combined with FitnessGram and grade data. Students in both the intervention and comparison groups increased in health-related fitness outcomes (all p values < .017), and there was a significant treatment group by time interaction on school-reported grades [F(1, 124) = 7.270, p = .008, η_P^2 = .055]. Significant gender by time interaction effects were found for the relationship between CFK or PE participation and health-related fitness outcomes, but there were no significant interaction effects by gender on academic outcomes. Because developmental outcomes are conditional and result from the coaction of many factors, the findings suggest that some elements of CFK might be beneficial to build skills yet disadvantageous to academic outcomes.

Tough decisions in medical specialty camps: Relationships between camp dosage, outcomes, and camper attendance.

RATIONALE: Medical specialty camps play a significant role in the lives of the youth they serve. These camps have been found to improve self-determination in campers, to develop camper skills in managing a disability or coping with a diagnosis, and to provide campers with respite/escape from the challenges associated with their disability or diagnosis. Youth attending medical specialty camps are often funded through full or partial scholarships, mitigating a significant constraint to their participation. These resources are limited, leading camp administrators charged with allocating funding to make challenging decisions in determining which campers would most benefit from camp participation. OBJECTIVE: This study examines a factor often linked to the escalating achievement of outcomes, repeated camp attendance, in 217 youth (ages 10-16) attending a one-week residential summer "Type 1 diabetes" camp. Specifically, two research questions were examined using a structural equation model (SEM): (1) what effect does repeat camp attendance (returning for multiple years) have on targeted outcome achievement, and (2) how does camper age moderate the relationship between repeated camp attendance and outcomes? RESULTS: The study results indicate across the 10-outcomes tested in the study (e.g., relatedness, autonomy, competence), repeat attendance had no statistically meaningful effect (p ≤ .05) on outcome scores, nor did camper age moderate the strength of relationship between attendance and outcomes. CONCLUSION: The lack of relationship between attendance and outcomes supports prior meta-analyses suggesting the lack of value of repeated attendance, as does the non-significant moderational effect. The results of this study may illustrate to program providers and funders that no discernible benefit (in terms of targeted and measured outcomes in the current study) is due to repeat attendance, which can inform resource allocation and camper recruitment decisions.

Mealtimes at residential summer camps: What are camp staff doing to promote campers' healthy eating behaviors?

OBJECTIVE: To explore camp staff's reports of their interactions with campers during mealtimes at residential summer camps. DESIGN: Thirty-minute semistructured, face-to-face interviews with staff. SETTING: Two residential summer camps in northeastern Pennsylvania. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-two adult (>18 years of age) staff. PHENOMENON OF INTEREST: Staff's perceived responsibilities, problems encountered, and feeding practices used during camp mealtimes. ANALYSIS: Qualitative interviews were analyzed using a hybrid analysis approach that combined deductive directed content analysis with inductive thematic analysis to identify themes and subthemes. RESULTS: The majority of staff indicated their responsibility during mealtimes was to ensure that campers eat. Common problems mentioned were campers' tendencies toward picky eating and overeating. Staff reported a number of strategies to deal with common mealtime problems including reasoning, modeling, limits or rules, punishment/contingencies, and responding to campers' needs/preferences. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Most staff expressed concern about promoting campers' healthy eating behaviors. Although staff discussed several mealtime strategies that can be interpreted as adaptive in authoritative contexts, they need more guidance related to what they should and should not do during mealtimes. Avenues for future research to inform the promotion of healthier mealtime behaviors in camps are discussed.

Residential summer camp: a new venue for nutrition education and physical activity promotion.

BACKGROUND: Millions of children attend residential summer camps each year. However, few studies have examined the potential of camps for obesity prevention efforts. Research in the domain of positive youth development has shown that camp programs as short as one week have both short- and long-term positive effects on self-esteem, self-efficacy and other youth outcomes. The objective of the present study was to highlight the potential of resident camps as promising venues for the promotion of healthy eating and physical activity behaviors in the children who attend. METHODS: Data for this study came from the American Camp Association 2007 Emerging Issues Survey. This survey assessed camp professionals' perspectives on a diverse array of issues, including the healthy eating and physical activity of children. Data analysis focused on responses from 247 camp professionals whose camps offered resident camp programs. RESULTS: Descriptive and Chi-square statistics were calculated. Ninety-two percent of camp professionals reported that the healthy eating and physical activity of campers was an "important" or "very important" issue for camps. The majority of camps reported offering vegetarian options, healthy snacks and salad bars, and allergen-free options. Additionally, 86% of camp professionals indicated that they had implemented one or more strategies to address concerns related to the unhealthy eating behaviors of children, with top strategies including increasing the availability of fruits and vegetables, increasing the availability of healthy drink options, and improving the nutritional quality of menus. Fewer camp professionals (50%) indicated they had implemented strategies to increase children's physical activity levels, but many professionals indicated that their camp programs were inherently active and additional strategies to promote physical activity were not necessary. Associations were found between camp affiliation and food options available to campers. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of camp professionals believe the healthy eating and physical activity of children are important issues for camps and have implemented strategies to address these issues. An important question for future research is to examine whether these strategies are effective in promoting healthy eating and physical activity behaviors in children, as well as ways that camp programs could be improved.

Youth development and the camp experience.

The organized camp experience has been an important part of the lives of children, youth, and adults for over 150 years. The camp experience is a way for young people to explore and search for an authenticity often missing in other parts of their lives that contributes to their healthy transition into adulthood. Over the past decade, tremendous growth in the volume and rigor of camp-related research has occurred, facilitated by a targeted research agenda conducted by the American Camp Association. This agenda was founded on three national research projects conducted between 2003 and 2007: a study to identify the developmental outcomes of the camp experience, a benchmarking study of the youth development supports and opportunities provided through camp experiences, and a program improvement project directed toward enhancing supports and opportunities provided by camps. The findings from these research projects suggest that camp experiences promote developmental outcomes in both campers and staff and that camps provide the supports and opportunities needed for positive youth development. This article explores the developmental outcomes of the camp experience and the characteristics of the supports and opportunities afforded by camp experiences, including settings, structures, and programs and activities, as a way to provide a clearer understanding of camp as a positive youth development setting. Innovations and opportunities in research related to the provision of quality camp experiences are also considered.