Comparison of Sleep Quality in Dialysis Patients and Kidney Transplant Recipients; [مقایسهی کیفیت خواب در بیماران دیالیزی و گیرندگان کلیه پیوندی]



Latifi M ; Pourhossein E ; Alirezaei A ; Tehrani TH ; Pourhossein M ; Dehghani S
Source: Journal of Payavard Salamat Published:2025

Abstract

Background and Aim: Sleep disorders are strongly associated with physical, mental, social health, as well as cognitive functioning. This study aimed to compare the quality of sleep between individuals on kidney transplant waiting list and kidney transplant recipients to develop an appropriate program to improve their health and quality of life. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 196 patients, including 100 patients who registered on the kidney transplant waiting list and 96 kidney transplant recipients at the Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). Convenience sampling was used. Patients completed a standardized Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire to assess sleep quality. The self-reporting method was used to complete the questionnaires. Clinical and demographic data were collected from patients’ medical files of Sina Hospital by kidney transplant coordinators. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, with a significance level set at less than 0.05. Results: The mean age of the participants was 47 years, with an age range between 18 and 69 years. Sixty-eight-point Thirty-six percent of the patients were male. Based on results, no significant difference was found between patients in kidney waiting list to kidney transplanted patients in demographic variables (age, gender, marital status, number of children, job, level of education, cause of kidney disease). According to independent T- test, the mean score of sleep quality of patients on the waiting list and kidney transplant recipients was (7.75±3.55) and (4.54±3.57), respectively, indicting the significant differences between two groups (P<0.001). Also, the Pearson correlation test reveals a significant positive correlation between age and sleep quality (P=0.038, r=0.612), and a significant negative correlation between duration of dialysis and the average sleep score (P=0.040, r=-0.062). Conclusion: It is essential to emphasis attention to the quality of sleep in kidney patients, especially during the pre-transplant and dialysis era. Additionally, kidney transplantation can be considered an effective solution for improving sleep quality and reducing complications related to kidney failure, although some patients continue to experience sleep problems after the transplant. Copyright © 2025 the Authors.