Benjamin D. Hickerson, North Carolina State UniversityKarla A. Henderson, North Carolina State University

INTRODUCTIONChildhood obesity is an area of modern concern since overweight children generally grow up to be overweight adults. The incidence of Type II diabetes and weakened immune systems are manifesting in children at an alarming rate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that children maintain a moderate level of physical activity for 60 minutes per day, 5 days per week. Previous research has indicated that many children are not meeting this recommendation. Measuring specific levels of children’s physical activity in relation to their environments is important to understand actions and make changes.

METHODS 300 campers age 9-12 will participate from 6 camps in central North Carolina.

A purposive sample of both day and residential camps lasting at least 7 days will be selected.

Campers will wear pedometers during their waking hours and a stepcount will be collected at the end of each day.

In addition to the stepcount, campers will report a time-annotated summary of their activities from each day with the help of a data collector.

ABSTRACTPublic health research conducted in the latter half of the twentieth century points to the need to move beyond a focus on changing individuals’ health behavior toward accounting for the role that social and physical environments play in reinforcing healthy and active living. Although camp programs are believed to embody healthy living and physical activity, no baseline information exists about how physically active children are while at camp. The purpose of this study is to collect objective physical activity measurements of children at organized summer residential and day camps. Additional information will be collected related to environmental characteristics, camp layout, program structure, and social interaction to determine relationships between physical activity, camp environments, and camp programming.

RESULTS

RESEARCH IN ACTION

Since little research has been done in this area of physical activity using camp environments, we hope to call attention to the role that camp directors have in providing opportunities and programs that will encourage more physical activity. Spain, Bialeschki, & Henderson (2005) provided suggestions that camp staff could use to make camps healthier, yet little empirical evidence exists about the value of those recommendations.

A FRAMEWORK FOR EXAMINING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN CAMPS

Data collection – Summer 2007

Previous research from the CDC demonstrating the lack of physical activity in adolescents:

POSSIBLE VARIABLES

Campground size (sq. ft.)

Attractiveness (Giles-Corti et al., 2005)

Available facilities (including condition, capacity, % indoor / outdoor)

Distance to facilities

Maintenance and safety (Cavnar et al., 2004)

Shading and weather (McKenzie, Marshall, Sallis, & Conway, 2000)

Staff-camper ratio

# of campers per session

Intentionality of programming (Baldwin, Caldwell, & Witt, 2006)