Background: Physical activity may improve quality of life in patients
with chronic kidney disease. Aim: To assess the relationship between physical
activity and quality of life in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease. Material
and Methods: The Kidney Disease Quality of Life-36 (KDQOL-36) and the
International Physical Activity questionnaire were answered by 130 patients
with chronic kidney disease (74 women, 80 receiving renal substitution therapy).
Sociodemographic variables were recorded. Results: Patients on renal substitution
therapy with a time lapse since diagnosis of 0 to 6 months had higher levels of
physical activity than those with longer time lapses (51.4 ± 12.5 and 34.6 ± 8.1
minutes respectively). Disease burden scores were lower among patients with renal
substitution therapy. There was a direct correlation between levels of vigorous
and moderate physical activity and the physical functioning dimension in the
quality of life questionnaire for patients with more than 19 months of disease.
The dimension general physical health was significantly associated with physical
activity in women and patients with 7 to 18 months of diagnosis. The dimension
disease burden was associated with physical activity in women, patients
not receiving substitution therapy and those with 7 to 18 months of diagnosis.
Conclusions: Moderate and vigorous physical activity is directly related to the
dimensions physical functioning, the general perception of physical health and
inversely related with the dimension burden of disease