Assessing the Physical and Mental Impact of a Healthcare Specialty Encampment: An Analysis through Self-Determination Theory

Abstract

Introduction: The American Diabetes Association has acknowledged the need of diabetes-specific camps because kind 1 diabetes is a common chronic illness affecting young people. For young people with diseases, these medical camp programs have improved self-esteem, self-image, and motivation.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine how the medical specialty camp affected the campers' perceptions of their knowledge of diabetes.

Methods: In 2021, the western part of the United States hosted the medical specialty camp. Assessments were done before and after camp to gauge how well-versed in diabetes the campers felt. Higher scores on the Likert scale used for the tests indicated more significant perceived ability levels. A statistical analysis was done to look at changes in perceived levels of competence.

Results: The perceived competency of campers' understanding of diabetes increased statistically significantly from pre-camp (M±SD=5.2±1.02) to post-camp (M±SD=5.4±1.01). The 95% confidence interval for the mean increase ranged from 4.69 to 5.70, with a mean increase of 0.05. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) identified a significant effect with a moderate effect size (partial 2 =.438), F (1, 11) = 8.33, p =.015.

Conclusions: The results of this study offer essential support for the use of medical specialty camps in educating young adults with diabetes on how to manage their illnesses.