A cross-sectional study of fatigue and sleep quality before and after kidney transplantation

Fatigue and sleep disturbances are common problems for adults with chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease. However, these issues have not been examined much in the context of kidney transplantation (KTx). This study characterizes these outcomes in the KTx population and examines their association with psychological functioning and quality of life (QOL). A cross-sectional cohort of 100 wait-listed pre-KTx and 100 post-KTx patients at one transplant center in the United States completed validated fatigue, sleep, mood, and QOL questionnaires, and their medical records were reviewed. Pre-KTx patients had higher levels of fatigue frequency, fatigue severity, and fatigue disruptiveness than post-KTx patients. Also, pre-KTx patients had more difficulty with sleep quality, latency, duration, efficiency, and disturbance and were more likely to have "poor" sleep quality compared with post-KTx patients. Multivariate predictors of high fatigue severity for both pre- and post-KTx patients were high body mass index (BMI), poor sleep quality, and mood disturbance, while poor sleep quality was predicted by high BMI and mood disturbance. Most sociodemographic and clinical parameters were not associated with fatigue severity or sleep disturbance. Fatigue and sleep disturbances are common before and after KTx, and study findings have important implications for their assessment and management.