Quality of life in kidney donors

Reports on quality of life of kidney donors include small populations with variable response rates. The aim was to evaluate quality of life in kidney donors in a large cross-sectional study. Through the Norwegian Renal Registry we contacted all 1984 kidney donors in the period 1963-2007 with a response rate of 76%. All received the Short-Form-36 (SF-36) survey form and a questionnaire specifically designed for kidney donors. SF-36 scores for a subgroup (n = 1414) of kidney donors were not inferior to a general population sample, adjusted for age, gender and education. When asked to reconsider, a majority stated that they still would have consented to donate. Risk factors for having doubts were graft loss in the recipient (OR 3.1, p < 0.001), medical problems after donation (OR 3.7, p < 0.001), unrelated donor (OR 2.2, p = 0.01) and less than 12 years since donation (OR 1.8, p = 0.04). Older age at donation was associated with lower risk (OR 0.98, p = 0.03). Compared with other donors, those expressing doubts had inferior SF-36 scores. Norwegian kidney donors are mostly first-degree relatives. They are fully reimbursed and offered life-long follow-up. All inhabitants are provided universal healthcare. This should be considered when extrapolating these results to other countries.