pilot study
In a pilot study conducted at Camp Crestfield (an ADA diabetes camp held at Slippery Rock, PA) with a sample of 83 children, we have found a significant gain in diabetes knowledge after using the "dbaza Diabetes education for Kids" CD-ROM. Participants ranged in age from 8 to 11 years, 42% were male, and had had diabetes for an average of four years. All children participated in a pre-test of diabetes knowledge - Modified version of the Test of Diabetes Knowledge: Revised-4" (Johnson et al., 1982; Harkavy et al., 1983) followed by CD-ROM use. There was an immediate post-test, and then a delayed post-test, on average, 17 days following CD-ROM use.

results
There was a significant gain in diabetes knowledge immediately after using the CD-ROM (p = .001). The gain in diabetes knowledge was still evident at the time of the delayed post-test (p = .01). Additionally, satisfaction with the CD-ROM was very high, with 88% of participants rating the program as very easy to use, 67% indicating that they would like to use the CD-ROM again, and 90% said that they would recommend this program to other children with diabetes. Finally, 92% of participants felt that this CD-ROM is a very helpful way to educate children newly diagnosed with diabetes.

conclusions

• Although these children have been living with diabetes for several years, they still were able to learn about diabetes and its management.
• Although all of the children had received traditional diabetes education, CD-ROM use was able to improve on that, suggesting that it is a very useful adjunct to traditional diabetes education.

Johnson SB, Pollak RT, Silverstein JH, Rosenbloom AL, Spillar R, McCallum M, Harkavy J. Cognitive and behavioral knowledge about insulin-dependent diabetes among children and parents. Pediatrics 1982; 69:708-713.

Harkavy J, Johnson SB, Silverstein J, Spillar R, McCallum M, Rosenbloom A. Who learns what at diabetes summer camp? J Pediatr Psychol 1983; 8:143-153.