DOI: 10.1080/16501970500338771

Objective: To assess whether liver transplant recipients have a hypoactive (sedentary) lifestyle and whether the level of everyday physical activity is related to complaints of fatigue. In addition, we explored the relationship between activity level and health-related quality of life. Design: Case comparison. Subjects. Eight persons 6–36 months after liver transplantation with varying severity of fatigue and 8 persons without known impairments (matched for gender, age, social situation and employment). Methods: Activity levels were assessed during 2 randomly selected consecutive weekdays with an accelerometry-based Activity Monitor. In the transplantation group, severity of fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale) and health-related quality of life (RAND-36) were also assessed. Results: Five liver transplant recipients had a hypoactive lifestyle, but there was no significant difference in activity level between the transplantation group and comparison group. Severity of fatigue was correlated (p =0. 01) with both duration of dynamic activities and intensity of everyday activity (r s = − 0. 81 and −0. 84, respectively). Activity level was correlated (p ≤0. 05) with several domains of health-related quality of life (r s =0. 72–0. 78). Conclusion: As a group, liver transplant recipients were not significantly less active than comparison subjects. Activity level was related with severity of fatigue and health-related quality of life. These findings have implications for the development of interventions needed to rehabilitate persons after liver transplantation.