TY - JOUR

T1 - Influence of Officially Ordered Restrictions during the first wave of COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Activity and Quality of Life in Patients after Kidney Transplantation in a Telemedicine Based Aftercare Program

T2 - A KTx360° Sub Study

AU - Hanke, Alexander A.

AU - Sundermeier, Thorben

AU - Boeck, Hedwig T.

AU - Schieffer, Elisabeth

AU - Boyen, Johanna

AU - Braun, Ana Céline

AU - Rolff, Simone

AU - Stein, Lothar

AU - Kück, Momme

AU - Schiffer, Mario

AU - Pape, Lars

AU - de Zwaan, Martina

AU - Haufe, Sven

AU - Kerling, Arno

AU - Tegtbur, Uwe

AU - Nöhre, Mariel

N1 - Funding Information: Funding: The KTx360° is supported by a grant from the Federal Joint Committee of the Federal Republic of Germany. Furthermore, we acknowledge support by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Open Access Publication Fund of Hannover Medical School (MHH).

PY - 2020/12/7

Y1 - 2020/12/7

N2 - Guidelines recommend a healthy lifestyle and regularly physical activity (PA) after kidney transplantation (KTx). The KTx360° program is a multicenter, multisectoral, multimodal, telemedicine-based follow-up care program. Effects of the first COVID-19 wave restrictions on health-related quality of life and PA of supervised KTx360° patients were evaluated using an online questionnaire. Six hundred and fifty-two KTx360° patients were contacted via email and were asked to complete the Freiburg questionnaire of physical activity and the Short form 12 Health Survey (SF12) online. Pre-pandemic and lockdown data were compared in 248 data sets. While sporting activity decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, basic and leisure activity increased, resulting in increased overall activity. The physical component scale of the SF-12 was in the low normal range before as well as during the pandemic, with a small but significant increase during the pandemic. The mental component scale showed normal values before and during pandemic with a small but statistically significant decrease. Our study supports the effectiveness of a telemedicine based program for KTx patient care in maintaining PA and quality of life during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, further research and observation during the ongoing pandemic are required.

AB - Guidelines recommend a healthy lifestyle and regularly physical activity (PA) after kidney transplantation (KTx). The KTx360° program is a multicenter, multisectoral, multimodal, telemedicine-based follow-up care program. Effects of the first COVID-19 wave restrictions on health-related quality of life and PA of supervised KTx360° patients were evaluated using an online questionnaire. Six hundred and fifty-two KTx360° patients were contacted via email and were asked to complete the Freiburg questionnaire of physical activity and the Short form 12 Health Survey (SF12) online. Pre-pandemic and lockdown data were compared in 248 data sets. While sporting activity decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, basic and leisure activity increased, resulting in increased overall activity. The physical component scale of the SF-12 was in the low normal range before as well as during the pandemic, with a small but significant increase during the pandemic. The mental component scale showed normal values before and during pandemic with a small but statistically significant decrease. Our study supports the effectiveness of a telemedicine based program for KTx patient care in maintaining PA and quality of life during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, further research and observation during the ongoing pandemic are required.

KW - COVID-19

KW - Kidney transplantation

KW - Physical activity

KW - QoL

KW - Quality of life

KW - Restrictions

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85097417733&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/ijerph17239144

DO - 10.3390/ijerph17239144

M3 - Article

C2 - 33297529

AN - SCOPUS:85097417733

VL - 17

SP - 1

EP - 9

JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

SN - 1661-7827

IS - 23

M1 - 9144

ER -