Determination of the relationship between symptom experiences and medication adherence after kidney transplantation

Objective: This study aimed to determine the relationship between symptom experience and medication adherence after kidney transplantation. Method: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Prof. Dr. Tuncer Karpuzoğlu Organ Transplantation Center of Akdeniz University Hospital. The study sample included 125 kidney transplant recipients. Research data were collected through the "Descriptive Characteristics Form", the "Modified Post-transplant Symptom Occurrence and Distress Scale-58TR", and the "Immunosuppressant Therapy Adherence Scale". Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests were employed to assess the normality of the distributions. Descriptive statistics were utilized in the analysis of the participant scores for each scale. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis H tests were used to determine if there were differences in distress levels between groups with different levels of symptom occurrence. Results: The majority of participants were male (66.4%) and married (68.8%). More than half (53.6%) were between 18 and 39 years of age, while 30.4% had completed primary school education or less. Nearly half (49.6%) of the participants had received their kidney transplant at least 5 years prior. Increased urination was found to be the most frequent symptom (2.42), followed by increased appetite (1.98) and hand tremors (1.84). Hand tremors emerged as the most distressing symptom (1.49), followed by thinning or hair loss (1.28) and restlessness or tension (1.03). A significant, positive, and strong correlation was detected between the occurrence of symptoms and the level of distress experienced by the recipients. However, neither symptom occurrence nor distress levels showed significant correlations with adherence to immunosuppressant therapy, with correlation coefficients remaining negligible. Conclusion: This study identified the most prevalent and distressing symptoms experienced by kidney transplant recipients. Contrary to expectations, neither symptom burden nor associated distress levels demonstrated a significant relationship with adherence to immunosuppressant therapy. Key words: kidney transplantation, symptom experience, immunosuppressant medication adherence