Introduction: Evaluate the quality of life of kidney transplant recipients has been a way to determine the impact of transplantation in health care and subsequent treatment of chronic character.
Objective: To analyze the association between income, work and quality of life of kidney transplant recipients.
Methods: The sample consisted of 147 people, with an average of 74.3 months of realization of the transplantation. Data was collected using the following methods: socioeconomic assessment tool and the Medical Outcome Study 36 - Item Short - Form Health Survey, validated for use in Brazil. A bivariate analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney's U test.
Results: The average quality of life related to health for the physical component was 63.8 (SD = 29.4), and for the mental component, 65.6 (SD = 29.2). The bivariate analysis showed that the exercise of labor activity and family income higher than three minimum wages were significantly associated with a better quality of life.
Conclusion: Labor activities are significant for kidney transplant recipients and special attention must be given by the multidisciplinary team in the search for strategies that promote and encourage their maintenance and reintegration into the labor market.