Kontakt 2014, 16(4):e249-e255 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2014.09.001

The changes in quality of life during the first year after the renal transplantation: The influence of physical activity and nutritionBiomedicine, Bioethics and Allied Professionals - Original article

Barbora Strejcová^a,*, Andrea Mahrová^a, Klára Švagrová^a, Milena Štollová^b, Vladimír Teplan^b

^a Univerzita Karlova, Fakulta tělesné výchovy a sportu, laboratoř sportovní motoriky, Praha

^b Institut klinické a experimentální medicíny, klinika nefrologie Transplantcentra IKEM, Praha

The aim of the study was to define the positive effect of physical activity and nutrition on the health related quality of life in renal transplant patients in the first year following the surgery. Interestingly, the results showed that the quality of life evaluated by SF-36 of physically active renal transplant patients reached or even overreached the values of healthy individuals.
We assessed the influence of intervention (physical activity, nutrition or both) on the health related quality of life. The health related quality of life was evaluated using standardized questionnaire KDQOL-SFTM (part of the generic questionnaire SF-36), and in the period one month before transplantation (patients filled the questionnaire retrospectively during their hospitalization in the first 14 days after the surgery) and approximately 10 months after the transplantation. There were 103 patients in this study (45 females, 58 males) of the age in the range 23-75 years with the average 54.7 years (±12 years). In the period when the patient was physically active or had special nutritive therapy (9.5 months after the renal transplantation) the quality of life evaluated using SF-36 (N = 94) statistically significantly improved in all domains except for physical activity (Wilcoxon test, p < 0.05) was lower that the values of healthy individuals in the Czech Republic. The results did not show any statistically significant difference among the items of the life quality and type of intervention done (ANOVA, p < 0.05). Also the testing of the differences among particular types of intervention with regard to the evaluation of the quality of life did not show any statistically significant changes.
There is a positive impact of physical activity on the quality of life of the renal transplant patients. It seems to be the most effective tool improving the quality of life, when physical activity is combined with nutrition therapy.

Keywords: Quality of life; Renal transplantation; Exercise intervention; Nutrition

Received: May 12, 2014; Accepted: September 1, 2014; Published: December 15, 2014  Show citation