Abstract:
Connected in Motion is a not for profit organization serving young adults with
Type 1 diabetes. The organization hosted outdoor and experiential Type 1 diabetes
education programs in January of2009 and 2010. The weekends provided non-clinical
alternative Type 1 diabetes education to the underserved population of young adults
within Canada. Six women living with Type I diabetes and between the ages of 22 and
30 participated in the Winter Slipstream weekends participated in this phenomenological
research study. Through semi-structured interviews and artifact-elicitation interviews,
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the lived experiences of the participants were examined. Data analysis indicated that the
sense of community created through outdoor programming and experiential education
for young adults with Type I diabetes stimulated the development of self-efficacy and
participant-perceived improvement in Type 1 diabetes self-management. There was no
indication that outdoor and experiential Type I diabetes education had any impact on the
development of autonomy among participants. Recommendations are made to
encourage the successful implementation of further alternative (non-clinical) Type 1
diabetes education programs for young adults living with Type 1 diabetes.
