Page 134 - Physical activity in recipients of solid organ transplantation - Edwin J. van Adrichem

Chapter 7
Route
kilometers was covered.
Statistical methods
structures were used. ‘Altitude’ and ‘AM/PM measurement’ were set as factors. Potential
Participants entered the National Park via the Londorossi gate and began walking at 3400
meters.

e ascent to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro (5895m) was made in seven days.
On the seventh day, the descent was made to 3810 meters followed by further descent to
Mweka Gate (1640m) on the eighth day (Table 1). A distance of approximately 60
Baseline characteristics were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Univariate comparison
between groups was performed with an independent t-test or Chi-square. In the event of a
non-normal distribution, a Mann-Whitney- U or Fisher’s exact test was used. For
categorical data, proportions are shown. To analyze change over time in oxygen saturation,
heart frequency, blood pressure, and LLAMS scores and to account for intra-recipient’s
correlations between repeated measures, a Linear Mixed Model (LMM) analysis was
performed. A Restricted Maximum Likelihood Method and unstructured correlation
explanatory variables (including age, gender, BMI, and category [Tx vs. Control]) were
entered into the LMM (

xed e

ects).

e variables ‘Age’ and ‘BMI’ were centered to the
means of the study population to increase clinical interpretability.
analyses were performed for all capillary blood gas values with ‘altitude’ as factor and ‘age’,
18
Additional LMM
‘gender’, and ‘Tx vs. control’ as potential explanatory variables. Analyses were performed
with the statistical programming language R, version 2.12.0 and IBM SPSS statistical
software, version 20.0. A p-value < .05 was considered statistically signi
Table 1. Route and altitudes
-1 0
0 Arusha 1400
1 Londorossi Gate 2360
2 Shira 1 3505
3 Shira 2 3810
4 Barranco 3980
5 Rest day Karanga 4030
6 Karanga 4030
7 Barafu 4680
8
Start walking
Lava Tower* Barranco Wall
Uhuru Peak
Arusha 1400
Arusha 1400 3400 Shira 1 3505 Shira 2 3810 4630 Barranco 3980 4230 Karanga 4030 Karanga 4030 Barafu 4680 5895 Millenium camp 3815

cant.
Day
Departure
Arrival
Schiphol Airport
Millenium camp
3815
* Eight Tx-participants and ten controls traveled the route over Lavatower.
Mweka Gate
e remaining participants
1640

ascended to 4400 meters and, from there, took the lower route to Barranco camp.
132.