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A comparison of play behavior in nonhospitalized and hospitalized children
Insights
Hospitalization may negatively impact young children's play development. This study found hospitalized children exhibited less playfulness and lower developmental play levels compared to home-dwelling peers.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Pediatric Psychology
- Environmental Psychology
Background:
- Play is crucial for child development and sensitive to environmental factors.
- Extended hospitalization can disrupt normal play patterns in young children.
- Tracheostomies in hospitalized children may present unique challenges to play.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the playfulness and developmental level of play in hospitalized children versus home-dwelling children.
- To investigate the impact of the hospital environment on children's play.
- To analyze play behavior across different settings (standardized and free play).
Main Methods:
- Video recording of play behavior in standardized and free play settings.
- Comparison of playfulness (liveliness, joy) and developmental play level between two groups of 2-year-olds.
- Quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
Main Results:
- Statistically significant differences in playfulness and developmental play level were observed between hospitalized and home-dwelling children.
- These differences were consistent across all three play settings.
- Children's play age varied depending on the play setting.
Conclusions:
- Hospital environments may impede the development of play in young children.
- While not solely attributable to hospitalization, environmental factors appear influential.
- Further research is needed to isolate specific hospital environmental impacts on play development.
Abstract:
Because play is extremely sensitive to environmental conditions, extended hospitalization may have adverse effects on normal play development in young children. This study compared the playfulness, as well as the level of play development, of three 2-year-old children who had been hospitalized most of their lives for tracheostomies, and three 2-year-olds living at home. Data on the children's play were gathered by videotaping in two standardized play settings and one free play setting. Statistically significant differences in the developmental level of play and in playfulness (i.e., the degree of liveliness and joy exhibited) were found between the two groups in all three settings, and the play age of all six children varied by setting. Quantitative data analysis was supported by qualitative findings. Although the differences between the groups cannot be conclusively attributed to hospitalization alone, certain features of the hospital environment appear to have hampered the development of play.