The social and physical environmental factors associated with the play of children living with life threatening/limiting conditions: A Q methodology study.

Abstract

Objectives: Living with a life threatening/limiting condition changes and challenges children’s play. The environment is known to support participation in play, yet there is a lack of evidence highlighting its specific factors contributing the most to children’s play. The aim of this study was to investigate the perspectives of these children about the environmental factors that are related to their play at inpatient healthcare facilities. Methods: Twenty-seven children took part in this study. Participants were aged between 5y and 11y, diagnosed with life threatening/limiting conditions and were receiving care at either a children’s hospital or hospice in either both Kuwait or the UK.. Children were asked to rank-order the Q set according to their perceived importance. The Q set used in this study comprised of twenty-eight written and pictorial items of social and physical environmental factors. The data were analysed using factor analysis and content analysis. Findings: Two shared viewpoints were identified, representing children from both countries. Being surrounded by others was considered important for children to play. The children had relatively little concern for having outdoor area and for the type of play activities to engage in. An exception for this was the art and craft play activities. Conclusions: Play settings are important to support rich, social play experiences and opportunities that match their play preferences. Children living with life threatening/limiting conditions in Kuwait and the UK have relatively similar play needs.