Physical Symptoms and Associated Factors in Chinese Renal Transplant Recipients

This study aimed to investigate physical symptoms in renal transplant recipients as well as the correlation between self-efficacy and symptom distress.

A total of 274 consecutive renal transplant recipients were enrolled using a convenience sampling method. The basic characteristics of renal transplant recipients were collected using a general situation questionnaire. Physical symptom distress and self-efficacy were assessed by the Kidney Transplant Questionnaire and the Perceived Health Competence Scale, respectively. Correlations between self-efficacy and symptom distress were analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation test.

Among 274 patients, 254 (92.7%) reported physical symptoms. Forgetfulness (29.56%), fatigue (28.1%), and tremor (27.37%) were the most frequent symptoms. The median score for the distress caused by physical symptoms was 5.33 (interquartile range, 4.29-6.33), suggesting that the perceived physical symptoms did not cause serious distress to patients overall. Uncertainty/fear was the most important factor affecting the quality of the life, whereas appearance seemed to be the factor that contributed least to a poor quality of life. The median self-efficacy of the participants was 27.0 (interquartile range, 24.0-30.0), suggesting a relatively high self-efficacy among kidney transplant recipients. There was a positive correlation between self-efficacy and symptom distress scores (r_s = 0.33; P < .001).

Patients are encouraged to enhance their self-efficacy with help and support from family and communities to reduce the level of distress and improve their quality of life.