HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN KIDNEY TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS: USING WHOQOL-BREF AND KDQOL-36 QUESTIONNAIRES

7 Feb 2025 12 a.m. 12 a.m.
WCN25-AB-335, Poster Board= FRI-091

Introduction:

Kidney transplantation is associated with improved quality of life(QoL). Health related QoL(HRQoL) is the impact that one’s health has on QoL. Several factors in the post-transplant period may thus influence it. KDQOL36 assess HRQoL in kidney disease while WHOQOL-BREF assess ones’ QoL.

Methods:

Descriptive cross-sectional study carried out at Kenyatta National Hospital from May-September 2022. Recruitment was done at their regular outpatient transplant clinic visits. All recipients with functioning graft transplanted more than 3 months at the time or recruitment were included. Medical records were retrieved for their clinical and laboratory characteristic.

Acute graft dysfunction was defined as rise of baseline creatinine by >25%. Glomerular filtration rate(GFR) was calculated using the CKD-EPI formula. An average blood pressure reading of three consecutive visits was recorded.

Results:

Seventy-three participants were recruited,75% were males with a mean age 46.6 (SD14.4), 65% resided in an urban setup and 42% had tertiary level education.

Majority of participants reported good QoL and HRQoL.

Highest scores were in psychological (75.4±8.9), environmental (76.9±13.9) and social (87.5±13.8) domains.

Males had higher physical health scores (65.9±7.1 vs 58.9±10.3 p = 0.002) while urban residents had higher environmental scores (79.5±14.2 vs 71.8±12.0 p = 0.025).

Blood pressure <130/80mmHg was associated with high social and environmental scores (89.7±12.9 vs 80.5±14.6 p = 0.016) (80.0±12.2 vs 66.5±14.6 p = <0.001) respectively.

Haemoglobin >12g/dl was associated high physical and psychological scores (59.4±12.2 vs 65.9±6.1 p = 0.004) (69.7±10.8 vs 77.4 ±7.3 p = 0.001) respectively. GFR>45ml/min was associated with higher physical, psychological, and environmental scores (65.9±6.4 vs 58±11.9 p = 0.001) (77.3±7.4 vs 68.4±10.7 p =<0.001) (79.1±13 vs 68.8±14.5 p = 0.007) respectively.

Acute graft dysfunction was associated with lower physical (59.0±12.6 vs 65.5±6.6 p = 0.007), psychological (71.3±10.8 vs 76.5±8.2 p = 0.044), and environmental domains scores (69.5±15.4 vs 78.8±13.0 p = 0.021).

Length of time post-transplantation was not associated with high scores, however participants who had dialysis period <2 years prior to transplantation had higher physical health scores (67.3±6.8 vs 62.6±8.9 p = 0.027).

 

 

KDQOL36

 

WHOQOL-BREF Domain

General health

Emotional well-being

Social function

Physical health

0.295

 

 

Psychological

 

0.415

 

Social relationship

 

 

0.298

Environment

 

 

 

N

73

73

73

p-value

0.011

<0.001

0.011

Table 1: Correlation of KDQOL36 and WHOQOL-BREF questionnaires

KDQOL36 and WHOQOL-BREF correlated poorly in physical and social domain, there was a moderate correlation in the psychological domain. There was however no domain to compare with environmental in KDQOL36.

 

 

Conclusions:

Transplant recipients have high QoL and HRQoL. Factors that positively impact are: male gender, urban residency, well controlled blood pressure, dialysis duration <2years, GFR >45ml/min and haemoglobin >12g/dl levels. Acute graft dysfunction has a negative effect. KDQOL36 and WHOQOL- BREF questionnaires correlate poorly.

I have no potential conflict of interest to disclose.

I did not use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process.