title: Quality of life of adolescent kidney transplant recipients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elicit utility-based quality of life (QOL) of adolescent kidney transplant recipients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured QOL in adolescent transplant recipients by using a visual analog scale (VAS), and 2 utility-based QOL measures, the Health Utilities Index (HUI) Mark 2/3 (HUI2/3), and the time trade-off. Participants aged 11-19 years old were recruited from 5 transplantation centers in Australia. Mean scores were compared by using paired t tests, and linear multiple regression was used to define predictors for time trade-off QOL weights.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-six adolescents participated in the study. On a scale with extremes of 0 (death) and 1 (full health), the participants had a mean (SD) time trade-off QOL weight of 0.99 ± 0.01 and HUI2/3 utility scores of 0.86 ± 0.16 and 0.85 ± 0.21, respectively. Time trade-off values were significantly higher than HUI Mark 2 values (P = .01) and HUI Mark 3 values (P = .02). From the HUI measure, decrements were observed in specific QOL domains, including vision, emotion (depression and anxiety), cognition, and pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adolescent kidney transplant recipients had consistent and high values for their current QOL, which suggests that they perceive themselves to be close to full health. However, adequate emotional and cognitive support may improve their overall QOL.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Kidney Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia. AllisonT@health.usyd.edu.au
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Lidwien
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tjaden
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: Germaine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Rachael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morton
authors.forename: Jonathan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Craig
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult