Metabolic control and educational status in children with type 1 diabetes: effects of a summer camp and intensive insulin treatment

Abstract

Our aim was to evaluate prospectively, in our diabetic patients, the impacts of a summer camp and intensive insulin treatment (IIT) on both metabolic control and disease-related educational level. Twenty-five patients participated in a 7-day-long summer camp. Before the camp, all patients were on therapy with short-acting human insulin (SAI) and intermediate-acting insulin (IAI) twice daily. On arrival, their insulin therapy regimen was changed by IIT including either SAI or rapid-acting insulin analogue (RAI) three times before meals supplemented by IAI at bedtime. Following the camp, all participants were given IIT with RAI plus IAI. Frequency of hypoglycaemia, insulin dose, body mass index (BMI) and glycohaemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were assessed at pre-camp and post-camp controls. To evaluate the effectiveness of camp-assisted education, all participants were regularly tested. We observed significant elevations in total daily dose of insulin and BMI at months 3 and 6 when compared with the pre-camp values but, by month 12, they were not significantly different from precamp values. The mean HbA(1c) level decreased significantly at months 6 and 12. Severe hypoglycaemic episodes and ketoacidosis were not detected during the camp and the following year. Significant improvements in knowledge about diabetes and self-management were determined at the end of the camp, after 6 and 12 months. Camp-assisted IIT with RAI improved metabolic control of diabetic children. Additionally, camp-assisted education has a positive effect on disease-related educational level and self-management.

Impact of a pioneer diabetes camp experience on glycemic control among children and adolescents living with type 1 diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa

“…This was probably related to the increase in physical activity and the healthier dietary measures adapted to the nutritional needs of each camper while maintaining the pre-camp insulin doses. To reduce the frequency of hypoglycemia during camp, organizers usually monitor and reduce the usual insulin doses of campers by 10–30 % upon arrival [5, 10, 15, 18]. The reduction in insulin doses alongside an appropriate dietary plan permitted the significant reduction in the frequency of hypoglycemia, which went down from 1.3 episodes per camper per day at the beginning to 0.5 at the end of the camp.…”

“…The sample size was small, although comparable to that of the majority of quality prospective studies [5, 10, 15, 17]. The initial number of campers was limited to ensure better monitoring and also to avoid accidents.…”

Quality of life and glycemic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes and the impact of an education intervention

“…The importance of knowledge in health education must not be ignored, because increased knowledge is the first step toward health behavior modification; thus, many studies have incorporated knowledge building into their intervention programs 9,22,25,26. However, a systematic review reported that the effect of educational intervention on diabetes knowledge was unclear, with 12 of 30 studies reporting a significant impact 27.…”

Metabolic state and anxiety level at adolescents during diabetic summer camp

“…Obserwacje poczynione na stosunkowo krót-kich 5-7-dniowych turnusach wakacyjnych podkreślają, poza walorami edukacyjnymi i poprawą samokontroli [13][14][15], także wzrost u dzieci i nastolatków akceptacji choroby i wzrost adaptacji do codziennego życia [16,17].…”