Camp Golden Treasures: a multidisciplinary weight-loss and a healthy lifestyle camp for adolescent girls

A pilot study of enhanced operation fit: The feasibility of a camp-based health intervention for ethnically diverse families of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities

BACKGROUND

Obesity rates are higher in children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (DD) compared to typically developing (TD) children. In TD children, family-based (FB) interventions for obesity are the most effective interventions. Research addressing obesity interventions for children with IDD is limited.

METHOD

We adapted a community-based obesity intervention created for TD children for children with IDD and added a parent education component. The current study examined the feasibility of Enhanced-Operation Fit, a camp-based intervention created in order to reduce weight, and improve health behavior outcomes. Participants were 16 children (68.8% male; M_age  = 13.15, SD_age  = 1.62) and their parents.

RESULTS

Results indicated that incorporating a daily parent education group limited recruitment potential, but showed promising preliminary improvements in parent feeding and child eating behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

Health interventions for children with IDD are greatly needed and the current study may be a cost and time-efficient intervention to help address this public health crisis.

Camp-based immersion treatment for obese, low socioeconomic status, multi-ethnic adolescents

BACKGROUND

Immersion treatment (IT) provided in a camp setting has been shown to promote short-term improvements in weight and health status in obese adolescents. However, evidence of IT's long-term efficacy and efficacy for multi-ethnic and lower socioeconomic status (SES) adolescents is limited.

METHODS

This was a cohort study with a pre/post design and longitudinal follow-up. The intervention was a 19-day camp-based IT program comprising (1) a nutrition curriculum and ad-lib access to a nutritious diet, (2) several hours of physical activity daily, (3) group therapy, and (4) cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). This analysis included 52 low-SES adolescents that participated in 2009 and 2010. A subgroup of 33 campers and their families was offered follow-up monthly for 10 months. Primary outcome measures were change in weight-related parameters immediately postcamp and after 10 months of follow-up.

RESULTS

Campers had significant short-term improvements in mean waist circumference (mean [M], 2.6; standard deviation [SD], 3.2 cm), weight (M, 2.6; SD, 1.9 kg), BMI (M, 1.1; SD, 0.9 kg/m2), BMI z-score (M, 0.06; SD, 0.07), and percent overweight (M, 6.1; SD, 4.7). Campers offered follow-up had a modest increase in mean percent overweight (M, 2.0; SD, 8.4) during 10 months of follow-up. However, 33% experienced continuing decline in percent overweight during follow-up, and long-term follow-up was associated with significant overall (precamp vs. end of follow-up) improvements in percent overweight (M, 4.9; SD, 7.2).

CONCLUSIONS

Camp-based IT with CBT is a promising intervention for improving short- and long-term weight status of low-SES adolescents. Additional research is needed to increase long-term efficacy.

Camp SHINE

According to the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES), in 2008, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese. This article describes the use of a residential, medically supervised summer camp to help overweight and obese children prevent excessive summertime weight gain. The theoretical framework guiding the program was Rosenstock’s health belief model (HBM). The weight loss results are included as well as information concerning adaptations of physical activities, environmental design considerations, and creating a supportive atmosphere, to meet the unique needs of this population. Data show that weight loss can be achieved for overweight/obese children/teens in residential camps designed to develop healthy behaviors.

Validation of a hip-worn accelerometer in measuring sleep time in children

This study compared measures of sleep from an accelerometer worn on the hip to measures obtained from an accelerometer worn on the wrist, the gold standard measure of sleep behavior in community research. The accelerometer worn on the hip provides a measure of total sleep time in 10- to 11-year-old children comparable to the wrist-worn unit. We provide an alternate method to ascertain bedtime and final wake time when diary data are missing. A hip-worn accelerometer may provide a cost-effective means of gathering physical activity and sleep data simultaneously in large samples of children with or without an accompanying sleep diary.