Children's Learning and Goal-Setting at a Diabetes Camp

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Endocrinology
• Child Psychology

Background:

• Type 1 diabetes requires significant self-management skills in children.
• Diabetes camps offer a unique environment for education and skill development.
• Assessing the impact of camp interventions on children's self-management is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate children's learning and goal attainment in diabetes self-management skills during a camp.
• To assess the effectiveness of a goal-setting intervention in improving self-management goal recall.
• To understand gender-based differences in perceived benefits of the diabetes camp.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal evaluation of 131 children in year 1 and 68 in year 2 with type 1 diabetes.
• Parent-reported goals pre-camp; child-reported learning and satisfaction post-camp.
• In year 2, a goal-setting intervention was implemented and assessed via physician and child reports.

Main Results:

• Children acquired knowledge on managing hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, carbohydrate counting, and insulin pump sites.
• Children demonstrated improved recall of self-management goals in year 2, particularly with the intervention.
• Boys reported greater learning in diabetes management, while girls valued opportunities for emotional expression.

Conclusions:

• Goal-setting interventions effectively enhance children's recall of diabetes self-management goals.
• The supportive and educational camp atmosphere provides significant benefits for children with type 1 diabetes.
• Further research should explore long-term effects and benefits across diverse camp settings.