Relationship Between Exercise Perception With Physical Activity Level, Body Awareness, and Illness Cognition in Renal Transplant Patients: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVES: Transplantation offers better quality of life and long-term survival benefits. Further knowledge is needed regarding exercise in daily life of transplant recipients. Here, we investigated the relationship between exercise perception and physical activity level, body awareness, and illness cognition in renal transplant patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study included 53 renal transplant recipients (Standardized Mini-Mental Test score = 26.35 ± 1.36; age = 41.11 ± 13.52 year, body mass index = 25.96 ± 5.26 kg/m², elapsed time after transplant = 3.68 ± 1.53 year). Perceived benefits and barriers to exercise, physical activity level, body awareness, and illness cognition were assessed with the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Body Awareness Questionnaire, and Patient Illness Perception Questionnaire, respectively. Correlations were established with Spearman test for nonparametric data, with regression analysis used to find determinants of physical activity levels.

RESULTS: We observed correlations between physical activity level and perceived benefits and barriers to exercise. There was a positive relationship between body awareness and perceived benefits and barriers to exercise and also illness cognition, with significant correlation between perceived benefits and barriers to exercise and illness cognition (P < .05). Perceived benefits and barriers to exercise (P = .006, R = 0.373, R2 = 0.139, beta = 0.373, t = 2.867, F = 8.22) were determining factors for physical activity level.

CONCLUSIONS: Psychologic and physical factors, including negative emotions and body dissatisfaction, are risk factors for poor quality of life. Although it is important to increase quality of life, tools to enhance body awareness and to develop strategies to alter motor behaviors in daily living activities are needed. Treatment and assessment strategies on body awareness and illness perception should be considered, with emphasis on the importance of physical activity posttransplant.