Type 1 diabetes is one of the most
common endocrine conditions in childhood. Approximately 86,000 children under
15 year are estimated to develop type 1 diabetes annually worldwide. In 2015
the number of children with type 1 diabetes exceeded half million. Therapeutic
education is central to the management of diabetes, especially in children and
adolescents. Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) in residential camps
exposes children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes to intensive
self-management education in a short-term recreational camp setting. Albasma
Camp for children with Diabetes was established in 2008, to educate children
about diabetes management in an enriching, diabetes-friendly environment. The
aim of this study is to assess the effect of short-term residential camps in
improving the practice and skills of diabetes self-management among children
attending a seven-day diabetes camp where 306 diabetic children participated
from different states of United Arab Emirates. Data was collected using
pretested questionnaire, check list and Focus Groups Discussion. The study
found that there was a strongly significant improvement in the overall Diabetes
Self-Management (DSM) practices of the study participants pre and post the camp
(P-value<0.00).and the majority of the study participants did not exposed to
any hyper (67%) or (58%) hypoglycaemic episodes during the 6 months following
the camp. Highly statistically significance between participant ages and
average HbA1c pre and post camp (p value < 0.00) for the between the age of
8 and 12 years, however, among the participants aged 13 to 14 there was a
statistically significance in HbA1c values compared to age only before
attending the camp, but after the camp the relationship was not significant (P-
value > 0.05). Existence of first degree relatives with diabetes, and
experience of attending a previous camp duration of diabetes were not
significant factor in the study. The study concluded residential diabetes camps
had a positive impact on glycemic control in children living with type 1
diabetes. The study recommended repeated educational programmes to assure
continuity of diabetes management and controlling glycaemia in children with
diabetes. The study suggested further studies with more duration of follow up
Diabetes Mellitus
is characterized by a state of chronic hyperglycemia resulting from a diversity
of aetiologies, environmental and genetic, acting jointly (Figure 1).
Chronic hyperglycemia, from whatever cause, leads to a number of complications
– cardiovascular, renal, neurological, ocular and others such as inter current
infections. According to WHO, there will be an alarming increase in the
population with type 1 diabetes mellitus, both in the developed and developing
countries over the next two decades WHO, 2008 (Figure 2). Epidemiological data
indicate the most common age of onset of type 1 diabetes is from 10 to 14
years, with the incidence of diabetes increasing worldwide
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