Summer Camp Health Initiative: An Overview of Injury and Illness in Two Canadian Summer Camps

Introduction: Summer camp is an important part of the lives of millions of youth worldwide. Injuries and illnesses at general residential camps have not been quantified in a Canadian setting. The objective of this study was to examine the incidence of injuries and illnesses that present to camp health centres at two Canadian residential summer camps. Method: This prospective cross-sectional study examined the incidence of new-onset injuries and illnesses that presented to camp infirmaries and circumstances surrounding their occurrence. Data collection forms were completed by trained infirmary staff during each camper’s presentation to the infirmary at two general residential camps in Canada in the summers of 2015 and 2016. Results: There were 1872 infirmary presentations, resulting in a frequency of 52.6 presentations per 1000 camp days (CD). The incidence of illness was 34.8 per 1000 CD and the incidence of injury was 17.9 per 1000 CD. Communicable disease was the most common diagnosis (15.2/1000 CD), most often an upper respiratory tract infection. The most common symptoms upon presentation were sore throat (14.1/1000 CD), headache (9.9/1000 CD), runny nose/congestion (6.2/1000 CD), cough (6.0/1000 CD) and nausea and vomiting (4.8/1000 CD). The most common injuries were cuts/lacerations/bruises (4.9/1000 CD), followed by muscle/tendon injury (4.9/1000 CD). The most frequent cause of injuries was participation in sports (3.9/1000 CD) and sports fields and courts were the most frequent location for injuries to occur (2.7/1000 CD). Females accounted for 52.8% of infirmary presentations. Senior campers (ages 12-16 years) presented most frequently (43.4%), followed by junior campers (ages 6-11 years; 38.1%) and staff (age ≥17 years; 18.0%). When age-specific CDs were calculated, junior campers had the highest frequency of infirmary presentations relative to their time spent at camp (79.7/1000 CD). Fifty people (1.4/1000 CD) were sent to a hospital for further assessment. Conclusion: Injuries and illnesses presenting for infirmary care in summer camp are generally minor in nature. Canadian data compares similarly to United States (US) studies. Future studies should focus on interventions to reduce these injuries and illnesses, particularly communicable illnesses.