Fitness support group for organ transplant recipients: self-management, self-efficacy and health status

Fitness support group for organ transplant recipients: self-management, self-efficacy and health status.

This paper is a report of a study conducted to describe postoperative self-management behaviours, perceived self-efficacy and health outcomes in adult organ transplant recipients who participated in a fitness support group.

Self-management behaviours designed to promote patient autonomy contribute to positive health outcomes after therapeutic interventions. Despite an increase in organ transplantation, little is known about the impact of self-management on health outcomes after adult organ transplantation. Even less has been investigated regarding nursing interventions in the organ transplantation patient demographic to promote positive outcomes.

Using a cross-sectional descriptive design, 20 participants completed a questionnaire that included measures of self-management, self-efficacy and health status during the 2006 training season.

Participants were, on average, 55 years of age and 6 years since transplantation. Their results were compared to mean values as reported in the literature, and revealed consistently superior scores for the outcome variables. The mean amount of weekly aerobic exercise in the transplant group was 3.2 hours (sd 1.4). Participants demonstrated impressively high amounts of self-efficacy. Confidence was inversely related to extent of illness interference in activities of daily life (r = -0.772, P = 0.01). Health status scores also exceeded the norms, with all participants reporting at least 'good' health. Seventeen participants reported zero emergency department visits in the last 6 months. Nursing interventions geared toward maximizing patient self-efficacy may improve health outcomes for adults after solid organ transplantation.

Group participation in a fitness programme may support achievement of self-management activities and feelings of self-efficacy in maintaining disease management.