Testing the Feasibility and Preliminary Effect of Summer Camp

Testing the Feasibility and Preliminary Effect of Summer Day Camp on Excess Summer Weight Gain in Children From Low-income Communities

This pilot randomized controlled trial was designed to assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of randomizing children, ages 6-12 years from two low-income communities in Rhode Island, to attend a summer day camp (CAMP) or to experience summer as usual (SAU). Children randomized to CAMP attended a Boys and Girls Club summer day camp for 8-weeks in summer 2017 or 2018. As part of the consent process, children randomized to SAU agreed to experience an unstructured summer (i.e. not enroll in more than one week of summer camp, summer school or other structured summer programming). Primary feasibility outcomes included retention, engagement and completion of midsummer measures. Secondary outcomes, change in BMIz (a proxy for excess summer weight gain), physical activity engagement, sedentary behavior, and diet (energy intake and diet quality), were collected by blinded research staff at the end of the school year, midsummer and the end of the summer.

Children randomized to CAMP were enrolled in the Boys and Girls Club Camp in one of two low-income Rhode Island communities in summer 2017 or 2018 for 7-weeks in 2017 and 8-weeks in 2018 due to a delayed end to the 2017 school year (i.e. snow days). Camp was offered daily from 8:30 to 4:30.

Children randomized to the SAU group were asked to experience an unstructured summer as otherwise planned by their parent / guardian. They agreed to not attend structured summer programming (i.e. camp, summer school, or day care) for more than one week over the summer so as to provide an inactive control group for comparison to those in CAMP.

Daily camp activities included sports, games, obstacle courses, swimming and boating, summer learning and arts and crafts. Lunch was served daily via the USDA's Summer Food Service Program.

Number of participants who completed three 24-hour diet recalls and/or 7-days of actigraphy at baseline and mid-summer assessment visits

Change in minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) as measured by ActiGraph accelerometer

Inclusion Criteria: Qualify for free or reduced-price meals at school Speak English (for purposes of camp participation) Agree, along with their parent(s), to randomization. Exclusion Criteria: A medical condition that interferes with participation in physical activity Enrollment in summer programming (camp, summer school, etc) for more than one week

Evans EW, Wing RR, Pierre DF, Howie WC, Brinker M, Jelalian E. Testing the effect of summer camp on excess summer weight gain in youth from low-income households: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Public Health. 2020 Nov 17;20(1):1732. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-09806-y.