Correlation Between Symptom Clusters and Self-Management in Renal Transplant Recipients: Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that single symptoms are associated with self-management, and symptom clusters are still a sparsely investigated field. This study aimed to explore the possible symptom clusters after renal transplantation and investigate the correlation between symptom clusters and self-management. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 381 renal transplant recipients (RTRs) from 2 tertiary hospitals in different regions. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, Symptom Experience Scale, and RTRs Self-Management Scale were used. Symptom clusters were created with exploratory factor analysis. Multiple regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between self-management and symptom clusters. Four symptom clusters were extracted, which were related to activity endurance, emotion, neuro-gastrointestinal, and hormone. Symptom clusters were negatively correlated with self-management (p < .001), and the activity endurance symptom cluster was the influencing factor of self-management (β = −.209, p < .001). The impact of symptom clusters on self-management among RTRs exhibits heterogeneity. Clinical therapies should prioritize the activity endurance symptom cluster since it is a substantial risk factor for impaired self-management ability.