Background: Young adults, 18-35 years of age, may be more vulnerable to chronic diseases than other age groups. In this study we describe the life situation and lifestyle of young adult kidney transplant recipients and compare their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) with a general population sample.
Methods: Questionnaires, including items on life situation, lifestyle, and the SF-36 HRQoL questionnaire, were mailed to all 280 renal transplant recipients in Norway between 18 to 35 years of age at the time of investigation of whom 131 (47%) responded. For comparison, we used 2,360 respondents aged 18 to 35 years from a general population survey in one Norwegian county. SF-36 scores are presented with unadjusted scores and the mean difference between groups adjusted for age, sex and education using multiple linear regression analysis.
Results: The kidney transplant recipients reported high participation rates in cultural and sports activities, and the majority of them were satisfied with their work. A larger proportion of the transplant recipients had attained university education than the general population sample. However, 25% of the total group were not integrated in professional life. The transplant recipients scored lower than the general population on seven of the eight SF-36 scales and the two summary scales after adjusting for age, sex and education.
Conclusions: The majority of young adult kidney recipients aged 18-35 years were well adapted in their family and professional life and satisfied with their current life situation. However, in aggregate they reported lower HRQoL on most scales of the SF-36 than a general population sample.