Friendship and Fun: Piloting a Medical Speciality Tween Day Camp

In August 2021, 10 campers who all have Type One Diabetes, ages 10-15, participated in two days of programming from 9am-4pm on a Mid-Atlantic college campus. This study partnered with the Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF) to 1) pilot test a new diabetes camp on campus model, 2) use new evaluation metrics for replication across the country, 3) and determine the effectiveness of diabetes camp on glycemic variability.The program was grounded in self- determination theory, programming for camp included a combination of physical, educational, and art-based activities such as biking, rock climbing, walking, swimming, tie- dye, and crafts. To assess the effectiveness of camp in glycemic range, parents of campers completed the survey assessing glycemic variability the day before the camp and two completed the survey assessing glycemic variability the day of the camp. Ten youth aging from 11 to 15 (30% male and 70% female) completed both the pre- and post-test versions of the questionnaire in summer Tween/Teen Diabetes Day Camp. The purpose of this study was to pilot test a new diabetes camp model and evaluation metrics. Findings suggest the value of peer-support for adolescence living with T1D, which can help prevent further health complications. The new LCIF camp measure needs further testing with larger samples. Our results add more substantial support for the continued development of medical specialty camps approach to educate and facilitate autonomous environments for youth living with chronic illnesses