Young Adult Counselors with Diabetes at Diabetes Camps: The Effect of Being a Peer Mentor on Counselors’ Health Behavior

Authors

  • Alison Stein Manning Brown University, Departments of Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • McLean Pollock Duke University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
  • Ben Clements University of Vermont Medical Center
  • Elissa Furutani Dana-Farber and Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Harvard Medical School
  • Samuel Brotkin Duke University, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts and Sciences
  • Joan Mansfield Harvard Medical School; Joslin Diabetes Center
  • Janis Kupersmidt Innovation Research & Training
  • Gregory Fritz Brown University, The Warren Albert Medical School
  • Gary Maslow Duke University, Department of Pediatrics, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2018.540

Keywords:

type 1 diabetes, camp, self-management

Abstract

Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with type I diabetes (T1D) often struggle with illness management. Although diabetes camps have been shown to improve blood sugar control among campers, the effect of the camp experience on counselors’ diabetes self-management has never been studied. In addition to the camp environment, it was hypothesized that peer factors among counselors, such as diabetes role modeling, would positively influence diabetes self-care behaviors and that counselors would be able to select diabetes role models based on these appropriate self-management behaviors. Counselors with T1D working at 2 summer camps were recruited to participate. Participants completed questionnaires including the Diabetes Behavior Rate Scale (DBRS) and a peer-assessment form in which participants were asked to nominate friends and diabetes role models, and to assign a role model score for each counselor. Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), a measure of blood sugar control, was obtained pre- and post-camp. Thirty-three participants completed the study. The average HbA1c score decreased 0.4% (p < .01) over the 6 to 10 weeks of camp indicating improved metabolic control at camp. The number of nominations for diabetes role model was associated with diabetes self-care (r = 0.351, p = 0.027). Diabetes role model scores were not associated with diabetes self-care (r = 0.272, p = 0.074). There was no correlation between HbA1c and diabetes self-care. The findings suggest that the camp counselor role is a potential target for intervention to promote positive outcomes for AYA with T1D. Lessons learned from how AYA with diabetes support one another at camp can be applied to community-based interventions for youth with T1D or other chronic illnesses. 

Author Biographies

Alison Stein Manning, Brown University, Departments of Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Alison R. Stein Manning, MDTriple Board Chief Resident, Departments of Pediatrics/Psychiatry/Child PsychiatryThe Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital

McLean Pollock, Duke University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

McLean D. Pollock, PhD, MSW, LCSW
Medical Instructor
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Duke University Medical Center, Box 3454

Ben Clements, University of Vermont Medical Center

Ben Clements, MD

Family Medicine Resident

Larner College of Medicine at UVM

University of Vermont Medical Center

Elissa Furutani, Dana-Farber and Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Harvard Medical School

Elissa, Furutani, MD

Fellow

Dana-Farber and Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA

Samuel Brotkin, Duke University, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

PhD Candidate 

Department of Psychology and Neuroscience

Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Joan Mansfield, Harvard Medical School; Joslin Diabetes Center

Joan Mansfield, MD

Associate in Medicine

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Harvard Medical School

 

 

 

Janis Kupersmidt, Innovation Research & Training

Janish Kupersmidt, PhD

iRT President and Senior Research Scientist

Gregory Fritz, Brown University, The Warren Albert Medical School

Gregory Fritz, MD

 

 

Gary Maslow, Duke University, Department of Pediatrics, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Gary Maslow, MD, MPH

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Co-Chief Division of Child and Family Mental Health and Developmental Neurosciences

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

 

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Primary Care Pediatrician

Duke University School of Medicine

 

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Published

2018-04-20

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 1-2 (2018): Special Issue on Camp Experience

Section

Research & Evaluation Studies

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