Children's use of summer camp health facilities: a longitudinal study.

This descriptive study explores the relationship between age, developmental level, and gender and school age campers' use of camp heath facilities. The sample consists of 370 campers (141 girls, 229 boys) who attended three summer camps between 1977 and 1990. Encounters recorded in the nurses' log books are analyzed. Accidents and injuries, communicable diseases, discomfort-related problems, and allergies are the most frequent reasons for visits. Gender has a significant effect on midseason and odd-time visits and visits for accidents/injuries and constitutional symptoms. Low users visited most frequently for accidents/injuries; and high users for viral syndromes. More boys were low users. Factors that influence children's visits to camp health centers need further study.