Abstract / Summary
Background: Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with type 1 diabetes face unique challenges in diabetes management due to hormonal fluctuations, lifestyle changes, and the transition to adult healthcare. Despite this, participation in traditional diabetes education courses is low. Diabetes camps may help address this gap by combining education, peer interaction, and psychosocial support. This study aimed to characterize AYA attending a diabetes camp, explore their motivations and interests, and evaluate associations between camp participation, psychosocial outcomes, and HbA1c. Methods: In this longitudinal study, participants completed online surveys before and three months after the camp. Data included demographic and clinical information, motivations for attending, topic interests, and satisfaction. Standardized measures included PAID-5 (diabetes-related stress), WHO-5 (mental well-being), and GAD-7 (anxiety). Results: Of 239 registered individuals, 178 completed the baseline survey (mean age 21.6 (±3.5) years, diabetes duration 10.8 (±5.9) years, 69.7% female, 17.4% migrant background, mean HbA1c 7.43% (±1.08)). Social interaction and interest in modern therapies were key motivations for participation. At follow-up, participants (n = 71) reported high satisfaction, with 74.3% indicating improved motivation for diabetes management, 64.3% improved self-management, and 58.6% greater self-confidence. Diabetes distress decreased and well-being improved (both p = 0.01), while anxiety and HbA1c remained unchanged. Conclusions: Diabetes camps may represent a valuable complement to outpatient care for AYA. Participation was associated with lower diabetes-related distress and improved well-being and may support self-management and self-confidence while addressing psychosocial and educational needs. However, as participants were predominantly highly educated females without a migration background, greater efforts are needed to engage a more diverse population.