Healthy Camp Study 2006-2010


 
  Participant Information FAQ for the Healthy Camp Study: An Internet-Based Illness & Injury Surveillance Project
 
 
 
  Your camp is invited to participate in the 5th year (summer 2010) of the Healthy Camp Study, a national Internet-based monitoring project of illnesses and injuries sustained by campers and staff in United States (US) summer camps. This 5-year study is funded by Markel Insurance Company of Glen Allen, Virginia. Participating institutions include:

• American Camp Association® (ACA);
• The Ohio State University, College of Medicine and College of Public Health (OSU);
• The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Center for Injury Research & Policy;
• Association of Camp Nurses (ACN);
• National Recreation and Park Association; and
• Christian Camp and Conference Association.
 
 
 
  Why are we doing this study?

The objective of the Healthy Camp Study is to monitor illness and injury among campers and staff at US summer camps and identify risk and protective factors associated with such adverse events. Long-term objectives are to monitor the annual results so that preventive interventions can be identified and integrated into the risk management programs. Using evidence-based science to establish camp health and safety practices can help camps decrease illnesses and injuries among both campers and staff.
 
 
 
  Why should I participate?

• There is no cost to participate and your involvement is confidential.
• For each summer you participate in the study, your camp will receive a summary and analysis
report detailing the injuries and illnesses experienced by your campers and staff. This will be a
powerful tool for risk and health management.
• Your camp will also receive an annual copy of the national data report for your type of camp (day
or resident) so you can see how your camp’s experience compares to similar camps across the
US.
• Perhaps the most valuable benefit will be the information that you will gain about illness and
injury prevention. As we learn more about specific strategies for reducing such risks in day and
resident camps, your camp will be on the cutting edge with first-hand access to up-to-date
information. You may even have the opportunity to pilot-test new interventions. These
anticipated risk reduction strategies should help your campers and staff stay more engaged
with your camp program rather than spending time coping with illness and injury at the Health
Center.
 
 
 
  What is expected of participating camps?

In late spring/early summer of 2010, each participating camp will be asked to identify a designated reporter, who will be responsible for collecting information about the illnesses and injuries that meet the study’s criteria for inclusion. Desired camp reporters are (listed in order of preference): the camp health care director, the camp nurse, other camp health care personnel (e.g., LPN, EMT, etc.), or another adult appointed by the camp administration. The camp’s reporter will be asked to log onto the study web site weekly throughout the summer season to provide exposure information (the number of campers and staff in the program) and incidence information (the number of campers or staff ill or injured and missing some portion of program time as a result). On average, during the first four summers (2006 to 2009), reporters spent approximately twenty minutes per week collecting and entering study information.
 
 
 
  What is the definition of a reportable incident?

For Resident Camps: Reportable incidents will only include those that: 1) occurred as a result of participation in camp program and 2) restricted the camper’s or staff member’s participation in regular camp activities for four or more hours.

For Day Camps: Reportable incidents will only include those that: 1) occurred as a result of participation in camp program and 2) restricted the camper’s or staff member’s participation in regular camp activities for one or more hours.

To learn more about the types of information that will be collected for each “reportable incident,” click on this link: Types of Information Needed for Each Reportable Event
 
 
 
  What if my camp serves people beyond the summer?

Due to the nature of this study, we are limiting the information gathered at this time to all persons in camp between June 1 and August 31 in the study years of 2006 - 2010.
 
 
 
  Isn’t camper/staff medical information confidential? How will it be kept private?

The researchers conducting this study are committed to protecting your participants’ privacy. The names of campers/staff will not be collected in the reporting system. Data collected will be used only for the purpose of conducting research on illnesses and injuries resulting from participation in camp programs. The final summary report and any publications based on this study will use only summary (aggregate) illness/injury and participation information that does NOT identify individual campers, staff, or camps. No individual camp or personal data will be provided to any collaborating organization or individual.

All information collected for this study is confidential to the extent provided by law. The protocol for this study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board at the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital (a committee that reviews all research to ensure study participants are protected).
 
 
 
  Do I need to obtain informed consent from each camper/staff member?

No. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and has been granted a waiver of consent per IRB Latitude to Approve a Consent Procedure that Alters or Waives some or all of the Elements of Consent, 46.116. Because no individual personal identifiers such as names, social security numbers, and the like will be collected, no personal rights are in question.
 
 
 
  How will participants be chosen?

Any US camp with Internet access and an adult who is willing to serve as a reporter for the monitoring system is invited to enroll in the study, regardless of whether your camp has participated previously. Each camp enrolling in 2010 is asked to provide reports each week that camp is in session between May 31st and August 27, 2010.
 
 
 
  Will participants be compensated?

There is no monetary compensation for participation. However, each year and at the end of the study, participating camps will receive a summary and analysis report of the findings for the period in question that includes their own camp’s data and the aggregate data for all camps in the study.
 
 
 
  What support will participants receive from the research team?

Each participating camp will receive:
• a training packet and will have access to two additional training options: 1) a personal training
session conducted via telephone by a member of the research staff on the use of the Internet-
based monitoring system, and/or 2) a set of self-guided PowerPoint slides detailing the data
entry process.
• Web hosting and technical support for the monitoring system will be provided by the Research
Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
• Throughout the study, the principal investigator, Dawn Comstock, PhD, and the research
assistants, Natalie McIlvain and Christy Collins, will be available via e-mail or telephone to answer questions and/or address concerns. Contact information will be provided during training.
 
 
 
  What are the important findings from Year 4?

• 193 camps (95% resident camps and 5% day camps) participated during summer 2009.
• The overall adverse event rate for camps in the 2009 study was 2.03 per 1,000 camp-days for resident camps and 1.71 per 1,000 camp-days for day camps.
• In resident camps, illness represented 1.57 per 1,000 camp days and injuries represented 0.46 per 1,000 camp days. In other words, illnesses were 3 times as likely as injuries to cause campers and staff to miss program time in camp.
• In day camps, illness represented 1.13 per 1,000 camp days and injuries represented 0.58 per 1,000 camp days. Again, campers and staff were more likely to miss program time in camp because of an illness than an injury.
• In comparison to other activities, camp is very safe. The risk of a child being injured during a sport activity is more than 5 times greater than the risk of injury while at camp.
• In day and resident camps, the most common camper and staff illnesses were classified as non-infectious gastrointestinal illness and infectious upper respiratory illness respectively.
• The most common mechanism-of-injury for campers and staff was trips and falls (in both day and resident camps).
• When injuries did occur in day and resident camps, they were most likely to occur during a camp activity on a playing field or gym. (For example, in resident camps, 22% of camper injuries and 17% of staff injuries occurred on a playing field/gym.)
 
 
 
  What are the important injury/illness prevention recommendations from Year 4?

• Encourage campers and staff to stay home if they are sick prior to their planned arrival at camp.
• Keep campers and staff resilient via adequate rest, hydration, and nutrition.
• Wear mouthguards and helmets during all classes, sports, and other recreational activities (such as ropes courses, rock climbing, etc.) that have a potential for head injury.
• Ensure that all fields used for physical activity are well-maintained, with sufficient lighting and even ground to minimize risk of collisions and stepping in holes.
• Staff supervision should be present whenever campers are running around on playing fields, even when there is no structured camp activity taking place.
 
 
 
  How do I sign up to participate? How many camps do you need?

Any day or resident camp program may participate in the study regardless of organizational affiliation (both ACA and non-ACA camps). As the number of participating camps increases, we increase the depth of our understanding of health and safety in the camp experience.
 
 
 
  Healthy Camp Study Advisory Committee:

Susan Baird, RN, MPH, Retired Camp Nurse. Association of Camp Nurses
Linda Erceg, RN, MS, PHN, Concordia Language Villages, Minnesota. Association of Camp Nurses.
Ian Garner, Markel Insurance Company, Vermont
Barry Garst, PhD., American Camp Association, Virginia
Mary Marugg, RN, Sonlight Christian Camp, Colorado
Edward (Skip) Walton, MD, University of Michigan, Michigan
Dawn Comstock, PhD., The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University
Sandra Jones-Thompson, Crystal Lake Park District Camp

Please let us know whether or not you are interested in participating by completing the form below.
 
 
 
 
Please choose one of the following responses:
 
 
 
 
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