American Indian Youth: A Residential Camp Program for Wellness

摘要

The American Indian Youth Summer Wellness Camp strives to increase physical activity and healthful eating among at-risk southwest American Indian youth. The Wellness Camp is one week in duration and involves youth, aged 10-15 years. Youth who attend camp are self-selected or referred by local tribal health programs. In any given summer, 35-60 youth attend camp. Approximately 20%-33% of youth return from one year to the next. We describe our program to increase healthy lifestyles among American Indian youth at risk for overweight, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The Wellness Camp Program includes five primary components: (1) cultural capital, (2) structured education sessions, (3) anthropometric and risk behavior assessments, (4) physical engagement, and (5) health messaging. Within this article, we describe our program to increase healthy lifestyles among American Indian youth at risk for overweight, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.