Supportive play environment for children living with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions: a mixed-methods study in Kuwait and the United Kingdom

Abstract

Play is every child’s right and of primary importance for their well-being. Living with a life-threatening and life-limiting condition (LTC/LLC) challenges the children’s modes of play. The aim of this research was to explore the nature of these children’s play in two cultures and investigate the social and physical environmental factors related to their play participation at inpatient healthcare facilities (children’s hospital ward and hospice).

A parallel mixed-methods study design was employed. Q methodology and observational data were collected from children with LTC/LLC (n=42) between the ages of 5 and 11 and from their caregivers (n=39) in two countries, Kuwait and the UK. The data were analysed using factor analysis and content analysis. Then the findings of both datasets were integrated.

The findings showed that children prioritised being with others. However, this was very limited often due to isolation precautions. This gives rise to their engagement in more sedentary solitary play. The available play resources were challenges for the children to use due to their physical and cognitive impairments which limited possible play options and autonomous play. Occasionally, play was done for them rather than the child engaging in play. The findings of the study did not indicate significant cultural differences in the collected data.

This research contributes to the area of children’s play and living with LTC/LLC. It enables understanding some of the children’s play needs that can be incorporated within the inpatient healthcare environments to support children’s participation in play. Suggestions are made to create opportunities for social play and encounter for the children’s impairments respecting their different play modes. Future research should explore these children’s play patterns, develop mediums to understand their playfulness experience and evaluate the impact outcome of play environment adaptation on children’s well-being.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Zainab A Jasem: orcid.org/0000-0001-5894-5718

ORCID for Duncan C Randall: orcid.org/0000-0002-8356-7373

ORCID for Danielle Lambrick: orcid.org/0000-0002-0325-6015

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