Analysis of Decision Factors when Choosing a Summer Camp for Minors (the Case of Romania)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18662/rrem/17.1/967Keywords:
Summer camps, teenagers, good practice, decision factors, attitudes and behaviours, barriersAbstract
The first objective of the investigation was to design a valid and reliable tool in order to identify the best practices concerning a program for children and adolescents. Secondly, we wanted to assess the construct validity of the scale and the correlation between the reactions of the questionnaire respondents and specific variables of decision factors and to provide the specialists in the field with such a measurement tool based on the presence of these factors. Thirdly, we aimed to identify the decision factors when choosing a camp for minors in Romania (e.g., Richmond et al., 2019; Richmond et al., 2023). Materials and method: The research study involved 139 parents/guardians whose child/children was/were enrolled in a summer camp program. In order to assess the internal consistency of the proposed questionnaire items, Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of validity was applied. To understand the reactions of those who filled out the close-ended questionnaire, we used exploratory factor analysis, extraction method, principal component analysis, and rotation method (i.e., Oblim with Kaiser Normalisation). SPSS version 20 was used to conduct the statistical analysis of the data. Results: The 17-item scale demonstrated an Alpha coefficient of validity of 0.61, indicating a good level of reliability and supporting the validity and consistency of this version of the scale. Principal component factor analysis grouped the variables into six distinct factors. Moreover, the factor analysis revealed various barriers perceived by parents or guardians when deciding whether to enrol their child in such a program.
References
Adetunji, O. J., & Akindutire, I. O. (2017). Benefits of participation in sport to the youth. Journal of Sports and Physical Education, 4(1), 30-34. 30-34. 10.9790/6737-0401013034. https://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jspe/papers/Vol-4Issue1/G04013034.pdf
Bialeschki, M. D., Henderson, K. A., & James, P. A. (2007). Camp experiences and developmental outcomes for youth. Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America, 16(4), 769–vi. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2007.05.011
Buri, J. R. (1991). Parental authority questionnaire. Journal of Personality Assessment, 57(1), 110-119. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa5701_13
Case, E.K. (2012). Specialized summer camp for children and adolescents with learning disabilities: A naturalistic context for enhancing social competence, friendship, and self-concept (PhD thesis). University of Toronto. http://ccamping.org.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Physical Activity & Health. https://www.cdc.gov/
DeHudy, A., Radesky, J., Schellpfeffer, N., Ambrose, M., & Hashikawa, A. (2021). Exploring camp policies and leadership opinions on digital media use in camps. Journal of Youth Development, 16(4), 88-102. https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2021.975
Furtado, O. L., Lieberman, L. J., & Gutierrez, G. L. (2017). Sport summer camp for children and youth with visual impairment: Descriptive case study of Camp Abilities. British Journal of Visual Impairment, 35(2), 154-164. https://doi.org/10.1177/0264619616685374
Haegele, J. A., & Lieberman, L. J. (2014). Summertime physical activity opportunities for youths with visual impairments and their families. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 108(4), 347-350. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X1410800411
Haegele, J. A. (2015). Promoting leisure-time physical activity for students with visual impairments using generalization tactics. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 109(4), 322-326. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X1510900409
Henderson, K. A., Bialeschki, M. D., & James, P. A. (2007). Overview of camp research. Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America, 16(4), 755–v. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2007.05.010
Jabeen, R., Bibi, W., Rafi, A. A., Gul, N., Saba, N., Ilyas, S., & Khan, I. H. (2024). Relationship of parenting styles with decision-making and self-concept among adolescents. Journal of Asian Development Studies, 13(1), 524-535.
Kromerova, E. (2017). Parental role in children’s sports activities in the context of achievement goal and self-determination theories. Baltic Journal of Sport and Health Sciences, 2(105), 27-32. https://doi.org/10.33607/bjshs.v2i105.22
Lee, J. E., Pope, Z., & Gao, Z. (2018). The role of youth sports in promoting children's physical activity and preventing pediatric obesity: A systematic review. Behavioral medicine (Washington, D.C.), 44(1), 62–76. https://doi.org/10.1080/08964289.2016.1193462
Lynch, M. L., Hegarty, C. B., Trauntvein, N., & Plucker, J. A. (2018). Summer camp as a force for 21st century learning: Exploring divergent thinking and activity selection in a residential camp setting. Journal of Youth Development, 13(1-2), 286-305. http://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2018.544
Mann, L., Harmoni, R., & Power, C. (1989). Adolescent decision-making: The development of competence. Journal of Adolescence, 12(3), 265-278. https://doi.org/10.1016/0140-1971(89)90077-8
Mavrovouniotis, F. (2012). Inactivity in childhood and adolescence: A modern lifestyle associated with adverse health consequences. Sport Science Review, 21(3-4), 75-99. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10237-012-0011-9
Monk, S., & Deutsch, J. (2016). How to run a sports camp – Legally speaking. Journal of Human Sciences, 13(1), 2068-2071. http://dx.doi.org/10.14687/ijhs.v13i1.3598
Muhammad, F., Awang, S., Hussin, M., Razak, A., Shaarani, A. Z., Habidin, N. F., & Latip, N. (2024). Understanding parents’ views on key factors and risks in school holiday camp participation. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(10). 1168–1178. http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v14-i10/23003
Ponchillia, P. E., Armbruster, J., & Wiebold, J. (2005). The national sports education camps project: Introducing sports skills to students with visual impairments through short-term specialized instruction. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 99(11), 685-695. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X0509901107
Omelan, A. A., Breś, B., Raczkowski, M., Podstawski, R., Polgár, T., & Koltai, M. (2018). Summer camps from the perspective of participants and organisers. Polish Journal of Sport and Tourism, 25(4), 33-38. https://doi.org/10.2478/pjst-2018-0025
Richmond, D., Sibthorp, J., & Wilson, C. (2019). Understanding the role of summer camps in the learning landscape: An exploratory sequential study. Journal of Youth Development, 14(3), 9-30. https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2019.780
Richmond, D., Hodge, C., & Sibthorp, J. (2023). Sending children to camp: An analysis of decision‐making by family income. Family Relations, 72(3), 1292-1310. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12730
Robson, P. (1989). Development of a new self-report questionnaire to measure self-esteem. Psychological medicine, 19(2), 513-518.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S003329170001254X
Scott, D., & Kim, C. (1998). Outdoor recreation participation and barriers to involvement. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, August. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=489a0df0dee3ccfb87242591c283dfe38c05f504
Stanat, P., Baumert, J., & Muller, A. G. (2005). Promotion of German language competence among children from immigrant or socially handicapped families: The evaluation concept for the Jacobs-Summer-Camp project. Zeitschrift Fur Padagogik, 51(6), 856-875.
Wilson, C., & Sibthorp, J. (2018). Examining the role of summer camps in developing academic and workplace readiness. Journal of Youth Development, 13(1-2), 83-104. https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2018.563
Wycoff, T., Sibthorp, J., & Browne, L. (2024). Helping families access summer camp: Constraints and associated negotiation strategies. Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership. https://doi.org/10.18666/JOREL-2024-12202
World Health Organization. (2022a). Obesity and overweight, 6-8 October 2024. World Health Organization.
World Health Organisation. (2022b). WHO European Regional Obesity Report, 6-8 October, 2024. World Health Organization
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 The Authors & InManifest Network

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant this journalright of first publication, with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work, with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g. in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as an earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala Journal has an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs
CC BY-NC-ND