title: Satisfaction With Life Among Living Kidney Donors: A RELIVE Study of Long-Term Donor Outcomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about living kidney donors' satisfaction with life (SWL) after donation. We compared donors' SWL to previously reported general population samples and investigated predictors of donors' SWL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three transplant centers mailed questionnaires to assess SWL, physical health, optimism, retrospective evaluation of the donation experience, and demographic characteristics to living kidney donors' homes between 2010 and 2012. Two thousand four hundred fifty-five donors who were between 5 and 48 years from the time of their donor surgery completed the questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-four percent of donors were satisfied with their lives (scores ≥ 20 on the Satisfaction With Life Scale). Donors were at least as satisfied with their lives as previously reported general population samples. After adjusting for physical health, optimism, and demographics, donors' SWL was significantly associated with donors' recalled experience of donation. Social support and positive effects of the donation on relationships predicted greater SWL. Financial difficulties associated with donation and longer recovery times predicted lower SWL. Recipient outcomes were not significantly related to donor SWL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Limitations include the lack of predonation SWL data, potential bias in postdonation SWL because of the situational context of the questionnaire, and a sample that is not representative of all U.S. living kidney donors. Nonetheless, strategies focused on improving the donation experience, particularly related to recovery time, financial issues, and social support, may result in greater SWL after donation.
authors.affiliation: 1 Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, MI. 2 University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. 3 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. 4 Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. 5 Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. 6 Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. 7 Address correspondence to: Emily E. Messersmith, Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, MI, 340 East Huron, Suite 300, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.
authors.forename: Emily E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Messersmith
authors.forename: Cynthia R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: Charlotte A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Beil
authors.forename: Brenda W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Gillespie
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Sandra J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Taler
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Merion
authors.forename: Sheila G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Jowsey
authors.forename: Alan B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Leichtman
authors.forename: Barry A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D019520:Living Donors / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States