Testing the Feasibility and Preliminary Effect of Summer Day Camp on Excess Summer Weight Gain in Children From Low-income Communities
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- The Miriam Hospital
- Enrollment
- 94
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Completion of study measures
Study Overview
Brief Summary
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.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Prevention
- Masking
- Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 6 Years to 12 Years (Child)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
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
Arms & Interventions
CAMP
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.
Intervention: Boys and Girls Club summer day camp (Behavioral)
Summer As Usual
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.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Completion of study measures
Time Frame: Baseline (May / June); Midsummer (mid-July)
Number of participants who completed three 24-hour diet recalls and/or 7-days of actigraphy at baseline and mid-summer assessment visits
Retention
Time Frame: Baseline to end of summer; 8 weeks
Number of participants who completed both baseline and end of summer assessments
Camp Attendance
Time Frame: 8 weeks
Number of days children attended the Boys and Girls Club Camp
Participation in Summer Activities
Time Frame: 8 weeks
Number of days children attended camp, summer school, or day care over the summer
Secondary Outcomes
- Excess summer weight gain(Baseline to end of summer; 8 weeks)
- Diet Quality(4-6 weeks (from baseline (end of May / beginning of June) to mid-summer (mid-July)))
- Sedentary Behavior(4-6 weeks (from baseline (end of May / beginning of June) to mid-summer (mid-July)))
- Physical Activity(4-6 weeks (from baseline (end of May / beginning of June) to mid-summer (mid-July)))
- Energy Intake(4-6 weeks (from baseline (end of May / beginning of June) to mid-summer (mid-July)))