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Healthy Camp Study Enrollment
Enhance the Quality of the Camp Experience

Healthy Camp Study Enrollment Form

Did you know that data collected during the summer of 2007 in year two of the five-year Healthy Camp Study found that....?

  • Both campers and staff were more likely to become ill at camp than to become injured.
  • Communicable diseases accounted for 42% of camper illness and 41% of staff illness.
  • Head injuries accounted for 29% of all injuries to day campers and 20% of injuries to resident campers.
  • Injuries were more likely to occur mid-week (Wednesday and Thursday) between noon and 6:00 p.m.
  • A significant number of finger injuries were reported among staff caused by knives used during food preparation.
  • In resident camps, failure to wear protective equipment was reported in 15% of camper injuries and 16% of staff injuries.

Want a Healthy Camp? - Join this Important Study!

Do you want to know the best intervention strategies to keep your staff on the job and your campers in program and not in the health lodge?  Do you want to see your health statistics in comparison to national averages?

Why join?

  • Free - No cost to participate; No special affiliation is required
  • Confidential - Your camp will not be named in any way
  • Report for risk assessment and planning - a camp-specific report of your camp's injuries and illnesses will be provided to you at no charge after each summer of participation.....an excellent addition to your camp's risk management portfolio.
  • Marketing - Tell parents that you are committed to camp safety and are participating in a national Healthy Camp Study.

Sign up for the Healthy Camp Initiative!  

Thanks to the generosity of Markel Insurance Company, and the skills and systems of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University (OSU), the American Camp Association (ACA), and the Association of Camp Nurses (ACN), we have a five-year opportunity to gather illness and injury data from camps (both ACA and non-ACA).

As a result of this study we want to:

  • track camp illnesses and injuries;
  • monitor trends in camp health;
  • identify risk and protection factors; and
  • track/analyze appropriate intervention strategies.

These strategies will make a proven difference in your camp's health awareness and performance!

Camps that have been serious about tracking illnesses and injuries over time have found ways to make significant reductions in the time campers and staff lose from program, have lowered their health costs, and provided very specific staff training on effective interventions.

What is Expected of Participating Camps?

Beginning with the 2006 camp season, each participating camp will be asked to have a designated reporter collect information about the injuries and illnesses that meet the study's criteria for inclusion.  Desired camp reporters are (listed in order of preference): the camp health care director, the camp nurse, other camp health care personnel (i.e., LPN, EMT, etc.), or another adult appointed by the camp administration. The camp's reporter will be asked to log onto the study Web site weekly throughout the summer season to provide exposure information (the number of campers and staff in the program) and incidence information (the number of campers or staff ill or injured and missing some portion of program time as a result).  Camps in our Pilot Study (2005) spent approximately fifteen minutes per week completing reports.

To view Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and the enrollment form, please click on the following link. Thank you!!

Healthy Camp Study Enrollment Form

If you are unable to get to the link or have additional questions, please contact the research department at 765-349-3511 or research@ACAcamps.org.

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ACA Mission Partner
Markel Insurance Company is providing the financial support needed to continue this project for five consecutive summers.
“Camps also receive free access to online training courses... Each training module addresses a specific injury or illness area...our camp has already implemented some changes, and added the training modules to our staff orientation."

— Mary Marugg, Sonlight Camp
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