Self-management and associated factors in kidney transplant recipients: a cross-sectional study in a public health crisis context

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Renal transplant patients are at high risk for infections due to immunosuppressive therapy. The pandemic has affected these individuals’ access to healthcare services, increasing the importance of self-management skills. This study was conducted to evaluate the self-management level of patients who underwent renal transplantation during the pandemic. The population of the study consisted of all patients who underwent renal transplantation and were followed up in the nephrology outpatient clinic, and the sample consisted of 84 patients who had undergone renal transplantation at least one month before study enrolment and voluntarily agreed to participate in the study (α = 0.05, 1-β = 92%). The data were collected with a questionnaire prepared based on the literature and the Self-Management Scale for Kidney Transplant Recipients (KTR-SMS). Findings of the study revealed that the mean scores of the patients were 17.10 ± 4.51 for early detecting and coping with abnormalities after kidney transplantation, 12.70 ± 2.72 for self-management behaviour in daily living and stress management, and 6.94 ± 2.45 for self-monitoring, and their KTR-SMS total mean score was 36.75 ± 7.70. Moreover, the KTR-SMS total mean score differed significantly by educational level ( p = 0.020), but not in a linear pattern: patients with primary school education scored significantly higher than those with secondary/high school education ( p = 0.036). Scores were also higher in those who, did not receive dialysis treatment before transplantation, were informed about pandemic, took the necessary measures for protection during this process, did not interrupt their treatment, made no change in their treatment, and received support for care during this process ( p < 0.05). It was concluded that the subscale and total mean scores of the KTR-SMS during the pandemic were relatively high, reflecting a favourable level of self-management engagement among kidney transplant recipients. Accordingly, it may be recommended to evaluate the self-management level of kidney transplant patients under special circumstances, such as the pandemic and to take necessary measures.