[Quality of life and depression in renal transplant patients].
The objective of this study was to examine the factors affecting quality of life in renal transplant patients and to evaluate the association between depression and quality of life.


METHODS
A study was carried out in 61 renal transplant patients. Health-related quality of life was evaluated using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form (SF-36) questionnaire. Depression was measured using the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI).


RESULTS
Twenty percent of the subjects had a BDI score higher than 15. The BDI score correlated inversely with these quality-of-life domains: physical functioning (r=-0.691, P<0.001), limitations in physical activities because of physical problems (r=-0.428, P=0.001), bodily pain (r=-0.662, P<0.001), and limitations in usual role activities because of emotional problems (r=-0.319, P<0.001). The BDI score also correlated with age (r=0.44, P<0.001) and serum creatinine level (r=0.453, P<0.001). Subjects with BDI score higher than 15 were significantly older (51.40+/-11.35 years vs. 42.64+/-10.89 years, P<0.05), they had higher serum creatinine levels (215.7+/-82.63 micromol/L vs. 153.2+/-50.6 micromol/L, P<0.05), lower bodily pain score (39.7+/-21.44 vs. 72.32+/-19.0, P<0.001), and lower score in limitations in usual role activities because of emotional problem (36.6+/-33.23 vs. 67.36+/-37.83, P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Depression was associated with a lower quality of life in four domains. Patients with depression were older and had a worse graft function.
Kusleikaite
Neda
N
Department of Nephrology, Kaunas University of Medicine, Kaunas, Lithuania. nedakusleikaite@gmail.com
Bumblyte
Inga Arūne
IA
Pakalnyte
Renata
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D003404:Creatinine