The effects of a physical exercise program in Chinese kidney transplant recipients: a prospective randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Background Kidney transplant has become the preferred therapy for end-stage renal disease. However, kidney transplant recipients still face several challenges, such as physical inactivity. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of a nurse-led physical exercise programme in Chinese kidney transplant recipients. Methods One hundred and six participants were enrolled from the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between July 2021 and June 2022 and randomly assigned to the control or intervention groups. Participants in the control group were provided with routine nursing care, and participants in the intervention group received nurse-led rigorous physical exercise programme, which was divided into two stages: the pre-discharge stage and the post-discharge stage. The pre-discharge stage included the non-ambulatory and ambulatory stages. The Chinese traditional exercise- Badunjin was incorporated into the physical exercise during the ambulatory stage. The post-discharge stage continued the same exercise as the ambulatory stage at home. After 3 months of intervention, both groups received the same follow-up for 3 months. The primary and secondary outcomes of all participants were collected. The data was analysed with repeated-measure ANOVA to examine the effectiveness of the intervention. Results Compared to the control group, the intervention group had less fatigue and more motivation to be active in primary outcomes. Moreover, patients in the intervention group had a higher phase angle, a longer 6-minute walk distance, more 30-second chair stand times, and decreased anxiety and depression level in secondary outcomes. No adverse events were observed during the intervention. There were no significant differences in all dimensions of the quality of life questionnaire between the intervention and the control group. Conclusion Chinese kidney transplant recipients could benefit from the nurse-led physical exercise programme post-operatively. Trial Registration: ChiCTR2100048755