Health-related quality of life among renal-transplant recipients in Japan

Background This study had four goals: (1) to evaluate an index of health-re lated quality of life (HQOL) among renal-transplant recipients in Japan, (2 ) to compare HQOL of renal-transplant recipients with that of the Japanese population as a whole, and (3,4) to study associations of HQOL with renal f unction and with the time since transplantation. Methods. Questionnaires were distributed to 570 subjects. All were outpatie nts, were 16 years old or older, and were studied at least 1 year after the y had received their latest renal: transplant. HQOL was assessed with the S hort Form 36-item health survey. Subjects' physicians provided data on rena l function. Associations of HQOL with serum creatinine concentration anti w ith the time since transplantation were evaluated by logistic regression. Results. The response rate was 83%, Data from patients with diabetes and fr om those who had had at least two renal transplants were excluded; data fro m 395 recipients were analyzed. On the physical functioning, general health perception, vitality, and social functioning scales, the patients' scores were significantly lower than the Japanese national-norm scores,General hea lth perception was particularly low, Serum creatinine concentrations were a ssociated with general health perception, vitality, and social functioning. Longer times since transplantation were associated with better social func tioning, Conclusions. Although social and physical functioning may improve after tra nsplant surgery, a low self-rating of general health seemed to remain. The rarity of renal transplantation in Japan and other psychosocial factors may explain the low self-rating of general health in Japanese renal-transplant recipients.