Home-Based Exercise Education in Liver Transplant Recipients (Liv (Liver))

February 23, 2026 updated by: İlker DEMİR, Hasan Kalyoncu University

The Effect of Brochure- and Video-Based Home Exercise Education on Physical Activity, Fatigue, and Caregiver Burden in Liver Transplant Recipients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Liver transplant recipients often experience reduced physical activity levels, fatigue, and increased caregiver burden after transplantation. Structured home-based exercise education may help improve these outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the effects of brochure-based and video-based home exercise education programs on physical activity levels, fatigue, and caregiver burden in liver transplant recipients.

Participants are assigned to either a brochure-based exercise education group, a video-based exercise education group, or a control group receiving standard care. The primary objective is to determine whether structured home exercise education improves physical activity and reduces fatigue and caregiver burden compared to standard care.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Regular physical activity is essential for improving functional capacity and quality of life in liver transplant recipients. However, many recipients experience persistent fatigue, decreased physical activity levels, and increased caregiver burden after transplantation. Structured and accessible home-based exercise education may provide a practical approach to support long-term rehabilitation in this population.

This study evaluates the effectiveness of two different home-based exercise education methods: brochure-based education and video-based education. Participants receive standardized exercise recommendations designed to promote safe and gradual increases in physical activity. The intervention period includes structured follow-up and guidance to enhance adherence. A control group receives standard post-transplant care without structured exercise education.

Outcome measures include physical activity level, fatigue severity, and caregiver burden, assessed at predefined time points during the study period. The findings of this study may contribute to the development of accessible rehabilitation strategies for liver transplant recipients.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

117

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Gaziantep
      • Malatya, Gaziantep, Turkey (Türkiye), 27010
        • Inonu University Turgut Ozal Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adult liver transplant recipients
  • Aged 18 years or older
  • Clinically stable and cleared for participation in physical activity
  • Able to understand and follow exercise instructions
  • Provided written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Presence of severe cardiovascular, respiratory, or musculoskeletal conditions that contraindicate exercise
  • Acute transplant rejection or severe post-transplant complications
  • Cognitive impairment limiting participation
  • Participation in another structured exercise program during the study period

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Brochure-Based Exercise Education
Participants receive structured home-based exercise education delivered through a printed brochure. The brochure includes information on safe physical activity, recommended exercises, frequency, intensity, and progression guidelines designed for liver transplant recipients.
Behavioral: Brochure-Based Exercise Education (Experimental)
Participants receive structured home-based exercise education delivered through a printed brochure specifically developed for liver transplant recipients. The brochure includes written instructions and illustrations describing aerobic and strengthening exercises, along with recommendations for frequency, duration, intensity, and progression. The material is designed to enable participants to independently perform safe and gradual physical activity at home throughout the study period.
Experimental: Video-Based Exercise Education
Participants receive structured home-based exercise education delivered through instructional videos. The videos demonstrate recommended exercises, provide guidance on proper technique, frequency, intensity, and progression suitable for liver transplant recipients.
Behavioral: Home-Based Exercise Education
Home-Based Exercise Education consists of structured guidance designed to promote safe and progressive physical activity in liver transplant recipients. The program includes recommendations regarding exercise type, frequency, duration, and intensity appropriate for the post-transplant period. Education is delivered either through a printed brochure or instructional video materials. The content focuses on aerobic and strengthening exercises that can be performed at home without specialized equipment. Participants are encouraged to follow the prescribed exercise recommendations throughout the study period.
No Intervention: Standard Care Control
Participants receive standard post-transplant follow-up care without additional structured exercise education during the study period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Physical Activity Level
Time Frame: Baseline and end of intervention (8 weeks)
International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Physical activity is expressed as MET-minutes per week calculated from activity intensity and duration. Scores range from 0 to >3000 MET-min/week, with higher values indicating higher physical activity level.
Baseline and end of intervention (8 weeks)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Hasan Kalyoncu University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

October 3, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

September 4, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

December 8, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 11, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 11, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

February 18, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 25, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 23, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2024/117

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared due to institutional data protection policies and ethical restrictions. The informed consent obtained from participants did not include permission for public data sharing.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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