Characteristics and Motivation of Solid Organ Transplant Recipients Attending the Canadian Transplant Games

Background: The Canadian Transplant games ("Games") were created to increase awareness of organ donation and highlight the importance of staying active and healthy post-transplant. It is unclear what motivates solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients to participate and whether the games serve as an incentive for SOT recipients to increase their physical activity (PA) levels.

Objectives: 1. To describe the characteristics of participants from past games and their motivation for attending and 2. to determine whether there was an interest in participating in goal-based, pre-games exercise training programs.

Methods: A web-based questionnaire was sent to adult SOT recipients who were members of the Canadian Transplant Association. The survey included questions about why participants attended, their PA levels, and their interest in a pre-games training program.

Results: Of the 157 participants, more were male than female; the 35-54-year-old age group was the most common; and 62% of respondents received a liver or kidney transplant. The most common reasons for participating in the games were to showcase health post-transplant, promote awareness of organ donation, sports competition, and social reasons. Sixty-five percent of respondents reported that they would be interested in an exercise program to be more physically prepared for the competition.

Conclusion: Pre-games training programs could be developed to motivate participation and help participants achieve higher training intensities and foster social interaction. Directing resources to individuals who do not attend the games and to those who are not physically active should be considered.