Abstract
Children’s hospitalisation affects more than physical health; it shapes children’s subjective wellbeing (SWB). Yet design researchers rarely systematically capture SWB. This study introduces the Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire for Hospitalised Children (SWBQ-HC), a tool that measures children’s perceptions of themselves, hospital services, and spaces. Developed by combining validated psychological scales with service- and space-specific items, the tool was piloted with 19 paediatric patients (aged 4–13) and 35 parents. Factor analysis revealed four dimensions: Positive and Negative Feelings about Self, and Feelings about Hospital Services and Spaces. The results highlight the interplay between relational and environmental factors in shaping SWB and reveal gaps in parent-child responses. The SWBQ-HC offers a practical instrument to guide design, evaluate interventions, and track service improvements over time. By operationalising SWB as a measurable outcome, this study positions design as central to the creation of paediatric services that support both emotional and experiential needs.
Keywords
subjective wellbeing; design for wellbeing; hospital experience; paediatric oncology
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2514
Citation
da Rosa, V., Brust-Renck, P.G., Fogliatto, F.S., and Tonetto, L.M. (2026) Measuring service-related subjective wellbeing in paediatric oncology, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2514
Creative Commons License
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Included in
Measuring service-related subjective wellbeing in paediatric oncology
Children’s hospitalisation affects more than physical health; it shapes children’s subjective wellbeing (SWB). Yet design researchers rarely systematically capture SWB. This study introduces the Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire for Hospitalised Children (SWBQ-HC), a tool that measures children’s perceptions of themselves, hospital services, and spaces. Developed by combining validated psychological scales with service- and space-specific items, the tool was piloted with 19 paediatric patients (aged 4–13) and 35 parents. Factor analysis revealed four dimensions: Positive and Negative Feelings about Self, and Feelings about Hospital Services and Spaces. The results highlight the interplay between relational and environmental factors in shaping SWB and reveal gaps in parent-child responses. The SWBQ-HC offers a practical instrument to guide design, evaluate interventions, and track service improvements over time. By operationalising SWB as a measurable outcome, this study positions design as central to the creation of paediatric services that support both emotional and experiential needs.