Analysis of Decision Factors when Choosing a Summer Camp for Minors (the Case of Romania)

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.