Etsuko Soeda
Keio University, Japan
Title: Using nature and outdoor activity to improve transplant children’s adherence during transitional age-three years of experience
Biography
Biography: Etsuko Soeda
Abstract
Objectives: Almost three decades has passed since the first living donor liver transplant (LDLTx) was performed in Japan in 1989. Nowadays, there are many reports about problems in their adherence with those transplant children who received LDLTx because there is no transition strategy for those children and parents/guardian. The objective of this study is to measure the effect of nature and outdoor activity to improve transplant children’s adherence.
Methods: Recruited participants age from 9 years who are coming out-patient liver transplant clinic with stable condition (no event such as rejection or infection within 6 months). Taking participants for snow camp and measured its effect by using IKR (Ikiru Chikara) tool which contain 28 items divided into three categories: psychosocial ability, moral fitness, and physical ability. They were tested for three times, before, after and 1 month after the camp.
Results: Seventeen patients participated to the snow camp and seven patients were eligible for the study. The average age was 14.9 with range 9-29 yr. and 13 males and 4 females. The IKR total score (value 28~168) before, after, and 1 month after were 131.7, 131.2 and 130.7 (average). There were positive feedbacks from patients and their parents and all patients have come to out-patients clinic regularly.
Conclusion: There was no significant change in those score for this short observation. Longer observation is needed to measure the effect use of nature and outdoor activities.