Different pathways to children's enjoyment of participation in daily activities

Background: The enjoyment arising from participating in an activity is considered to be related to health and well-being. However, only a few studies have focused on children's enjoyment of participation. Aim: To assess the contribution of various individual factors to the total explained variance of children's enjoyment of participation from the perspectives of parents and children. Methods: Ninety-eight typically developed children were evaluated using motor and cognitive tests; they completed the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment. Their parents completed the Children Participation Questionnaire, the Performance Skills Questionnaire, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Results: Age and gender were found to be significant predictors. Parents perceived enjoyment to be associated with their child's performance skills and the efficient execution of daily tasks. Children perceived enjoyment to be associated with their psychosocial functioning. Conclusions: The contribution of performance skills exceeds the contribution of motor or cognitive ability to the total explained variance of a child's enjoyment of participation. A gap exists, however, between the perspectives of children and parents regarding enjoyment of participation. Enhancing participation is a central goal of the occupational therapy domain and process; our findings may provide insights into possible pathways to accomplish this goal.