Recreational intervention at PortAventura Dreams: impact on the well-being of children and adolescents with chronic illnesses and their families

Abstract

Introduction: Children and adolescents with severe chronic illnesses or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families often experience a high emotional burden and elevated levels of anxiety. Although
recreational interventions may provide psychosocial benefits, evidence regarding their effectiveness is scarce. Objectives: This study evaluated the impact of a sixday
recreational intervention at PortAventura Dreams (Tarragona, Spain) on caregiver burden, anxiety, and pediatric quality of life in 105 pediatric patients and their caregivers. Methods: The design was pretest–posttest, with no structured therapeutic programming or healthcare professionals, and assessments were conducted at baseline, one week, and four weeks after the intervention, using the Caregiver Burden Scale (Zarit), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI/STAIC), and the Pediatric Quality of Life Questionnaire (PedsQL). Results: Statistical analyses showed significant reductions in caregiver burden and anxiety levels in both children/adolescents and caregivers (p < 0.001) across the three assessment points. Pediatric quality of life showed slight but statistically significant improvement (p < 0.001). Conclusions: These results suggest that a family recreational intervention, even
without professional support, can reduce emotional burden and anxiety in families with children with severe chronic illnesses or ASD, although the impact on pediatric quality of life requires further research.