Nazarul Hassan JAFRY, Anum RIZWAN, Tajammul WAQAR, Nazia FATIMA
Experimental and Clinical Transplantation - 2026;24(9):683-688
Objectives: Chronic kidney disease is a growing global health concern, with kidney transplant recognized as the optimal kidney replacement therapy for improving health-related quality of life in these patients. However, data on health-related quality of life after kidney transplant in lower-middle-income countries like Pakistan remain limited. This study assessed health-related quality of life in kidney transplant recipients at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (Karachi, Pakistan), to evaluate the effects of transplantation on physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being. Materials and Methods: Our cross-sectional study included 205 adult kidney transplant recipients (>=1 year posttransplant). We used SF-36 questionnaire responses to analyze sociodemographic data, physical symptoms, psychological status, and social function. We used SPSS version 22 for statistical analysis, with P < .05 considered significant. Results: Among the study group, mean age was 38.1 +/- 10.6 years; 78% of recipients were men. Mean SF-36 score was 99.5 +/- 4.81, indicating high health-related quality of life. Physical function (96.8 +/- 8.5) and social function (95.5 +/- 15.7) scores were notably high, whereas general health perception score was lower (82.5 +/- 22.5). Male transplant recipients reported significantly better physical function than female transplant recipients (P = .031). No significant associations were found between health-related quality of life and marital status, education, income, or time since transplant (P > .05). Conclusions: Kidney transplant significantly improved health-related quality of life, particularly in physical and social domains, among Pakistani transplant recipients. Disparities between male and female patients highlight the need for tailored posttransplant care for females, whereas the minimal impact of other sociodemographic factors suggested the effectiveness of structured transplant programs in lower-middle-income countries. These findings support expanding access to kidney transplant while emphasizing sensitive rehabilitation strategies for female versus male patients.
