The social and physical environmental factors associated with the play of children living with life threatening/limiting conditions: a Q methodology study
The social and physical environmental factors associated with the play of children living with life threatening/limiting conditions: a Q methodology study
Background: 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 to children's play. In this study, we investigated the perspectives of children living with life threatening/limiting conditions with regard to the environmental factors that are related to their engagement in play whilst receiving inpatient healthcare.
Methods: twenty-seven children took part in this study. Participants were aged between 5 and 11 years, diagnosed with life threatening/limiting conditions and were receiving care at either a children's hospital or hospice in either Kuwait or the United Kingdom. Children were asked to rank-order a Q set according to their perceived importance. The used Q set composed of social and physical environmental factors. The data were analysed using factor analysis and content analysis.
Findings: two shared viewpoints were identified, which represented children from both countries. For Factor 1, the children's need for social connectivity guided their answers regarding the environmental factors. For Factor 2, although children considered being surrounded by others important, their selections of the play conditions directed their play. For both factors, children had relatively little concern for outdoor and the type of play to engage in, with the exception of arts and crafts play activities, which were deemed important.
Conclusions: play settings are important to support rich, social play experiences and opportunities that match children's play preferences. Children living with life threatening/limiting conditions in Kuwait and the United Kingdom have relatively similar play needs.
Q methodology, environment, palliative care, play, vulnerable children
Jasem, Zainab A.
7d146d4a-a3bb-4241-a0e1-ac13239397fb
Lambrick, Danielle
1deafa4b-acf3-4eff-83c9-f8274e47e993
Randall, Duncan C.
21b02c15-4d2c-4491-b4ae-e8008c1a093e
Darlington, Anne‐sophie
472fcfc9-160b-4344-8113-8dd8760ff962
Jasem, Zainab A.
7d146d4a-a3bb-4241-a0e1-ac13239397fb
Lambrick, Danielle
1deafa4b-acf3-4eff-83c9-f8274e47e993
Randall, Duncan C.
21b02c15-4d2c-4491-b4ae-e8008c1a093e
Darlington, Anne‐sophie
472fcfc9-160b-4344-8113-8dd8760ff962
Jasem, Zainab A., Lambrick, Danielle, Randall, Duncan C. and Darlington, Anne‐sophie
(2021)
The social and physical environmental factors associated with the play of children living with life threatening/limiting conditions: a Q methodology study.
Child: Care, Health and Development.
(doi:10.1111/cch.12933).
Abstract
Background: 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 to children's play. In this study, we investigated the perspectives of children living with life threatening/limiting conditions with regard to the environmental factors that are related to their engagement in play whilst receiving inpatient healthcare.
Methods: twenty-seven children took part in this study. Participants were aged between 5 and 11 years, diagnosed with life threatening/limiting conditions and were receiving care at either a children's hospital or hospice in either Kuwait or the United Kingdom. Children were asked to rank-order a Q set according to their perceived importance. The used Q set composed of social and physical environmental factors. The data were analysed using factor analysis and content analysis.
Findings: two shared viewpoints were identified, which represented children from both countries. For Factor 1, the children's need for social connectivity guided their answers regarding the environmental factors. For Factor 2, although children considered being surrounded by others important, their selections of the play conditions directed their play. For both factors, children had relatively little concern for outdoor and the type of play to engage in, with the exception of arts and crafts play activities, which were deemed important.
Conclusions: play settings are important to support rich, social play experiences and opportunities that match children's play preferences. Children living with life threatening/limiting conditions in Kuwait and the United Kingdom have relatively similar play needs.
Text
The social and physical environmental factors...
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 30 October 2021
e-pub ahead of print date: 21 December 2021
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank the children for their kindness and willingness to participate. Thanks are also due to the settings that hosted this research study. This study was undertaken in part fulfilment of a doctoral programme at the University of Southampton in the School of Health Sciences, funded by the Kuwait University.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Keywords:
Q methodology, environment, palliative care, play, vulnerable children
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 453591
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/453591
ISSN: 0305-1862
PURE UUID: 7887c876-06c7-41b0-b60f-682be125a5a4
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Date deposited: 20 Jan 2022 17:34
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 06:58
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Contributors
Author:
Zainab A. Jasem
Author:
Duncan C. Randall
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