Testing QOL Causal Model of Kidney Post-Transplant Recipients

Abstract

Concerning kidney transplant today, the quality of life (QOL) after transplant is intensively focused on as well as patients survival or graft survival. The purpose of this study is to test a QOL causal model of kidney post-transplant recipients. Based on conceptual framework for study, the QOL causal model was constructed.
The subjects were 210 kidney post-transplant recipients aged 20 or more who agreed to participate in this study. They were the cases from four hospitals in Kanto area and Nagoya city. The data was collected by a questionnaire and an interview, and from medical records. The questionnaire consisted of self-concept, social support, uncertainty, physical state, coping, quality of life, and demographic and medical characteristics such as age, sex, marital status, time since the transplant. In interview, performance status was evaluated using a structured guide. The QOL causal model for data analysis was subjected to covariance structure analysis.
The results were as follows:(1) The QOL causal model showed that the Goodness of Fit Index (GFI) was high and that some path coefficients were statistically significant (p<0.05), thus establishing the validity of the assumed model.(2) Self -concept, social support, uncertainty, and physical state were related to coping.(3) Coping was related to QOL.(4) Self-concept and social support had a direct path to QOL.(5) The worse examination data was, the more QOL decreased. Therefore, the results of this study appears to be a quite promising cue to the care of the kidney transplant recipients.