Examining the Effect of Physical Activity on Metabolic Parameters in Kidney Transplant Recipients
Project no. 21741 · Status: Kapanmış (Yayın bekleniyor) · 2020
Summary
<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Cardiovascular diseases are among the most common causes of death in kidney transplant patients. Physical activity is of great importance in preventing cardiovascular diseases seen after transplantation. Although regular physical activity is recommended in international guidelines to prevent post-transplant mortality and morbidity in kidney transplant patients, studies have shown that patients do not comply with regular physical activity instructions. There are limited studies on exercise level in kidney transplant patients and how exercise affects their physical functions. In addition, no studies on this subject have been found in our country. This project aimed to examine the effect of pedometer-supported physical activity on metabolic parameters after kidney transplantation.</p><p><strong>Materials and Methods: </strong>This research is a prospective randomized controlled study to examine the effect of pedometer-assisted walking on physical activity level and metabolic parameters in kidney transplant patients. The sample of the study consisted of 36 patients who received kidney transplantation at Ege University Organ Transplantation Research and Application Center between October 1, 2020 and 05.03.2024. Patients were randomized into Intervention and Control groups, respectively, according to the date of transplantation. The Intervention and Control groups were given the same training regarding the importance of physical activity during discharge training. While the intervention group was given a pedometer to evaluate the activity level, the control group was advised to record only their daily activities. Then, the metabolic parameters of the patients in the Intervention and Control groups were evaluated at the 4th and 12th months after transplantation. Descriptive statistics, ShapiroWilk normality test, independent samples t test, Mann Whitney U test and Fisher Exact test were used to analyze the data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The average age of the patients was 36.50±12.39 years (min-max 18-59), and 69.4% were male. Before transplantation, 86.1% of the patients had undergone renal replacement therapy, and 61.1% had at least one chronic illness. Upon discharge after transplantation, 100% of the patients were prescribed steroids, 94.4% tacrolimus, and 80.6% mycophenolate mofetil. In the short term (4th month post-transplant), there was a statistically significant difference in the body mass index (BMI) (p=0.036) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels (p=0.046) between the intervention group and the control group. In the long term (12th month), a statistically significant difference in BMI was found between the intervention group and the control group (p=0.010).</p><p><br></p><p> <strong>Conclusion: </strong>According to the research findings, patients who engaged in pedometer-supported walking after kidney transplantation had lower average body mass index (BMI) in both the short term (4th month) and long term (12th month) compared to those who were only advised to walk post-transplant. It is suggested that pedometer-supported walking could be effective in promoting behavior change related to physical activity, controlling or limiting weight gain, and improving long-term positive patient outcomes.</p><p><strong>Keywords: </strong>Transplant, kidney, exercise, heart diseases, nursing care</p><p><br></p>