Table 1.

Characteristics of the included studies

Study; Country	Type of RRT; Sample size; Age (yrs); % female	Follow-up length3 (yrs)	PA assessment method; instrument	PA measured domains	PA (exposure) measurement scale	Outcome(s)
Tentori et al. 2010; Several countries1 [20]	HD; n = 20,920; 60.7 ± 14.8; 41.8	1.75	Self-reported: Single question	Leisure time	Categorical: never or < 1 time/wk; 1 time/wk; 2–3 times/wk; 4–5 times/wk; 6–7 times/wk (daily) Dichotomous: ‘regular exercise’ (≥1 time/wk) versus ‘non-regular exercise’ (never or < 1 time/wk)	All-cause mortality, All-cause hospitalization, cause-specific hospitalization
Lopes et al. 2014; Several countries1 [21]	HD; n = 5763; 63.4 ± 14.5; 38.3	1.6	Self-reported: RAPA	Total	Categorical: Never/rarely active (rarely or never do any PA); infrequently active (some light or moderate PA, not every wk); sometimes active (light PA, every wk); often active (moderate PA: < 30 min, 5 days/wk or vigorous PA: < 20 min, 3 days/wk); very active (moderate PA: > 30 min, 5days/wk or vigorous PA: > 20 min, 3days/wk)	All-cause mortality
Kutner et al. 2016; USA [22]	HD, n = 755; 57.3 ± 14.02; 40.4	2.0	Self-reported: MLTAQ	Leisure time, household	Dichotomous: Inactive (< 500 Kcal/wk) or Active (≥ 500 Kcal/wk)	All-cause mortality
Zhang et al. 2017; China [23]	HD; n = 317; 60.2 ± 13.7; 45.4	1.5 (mean)	Self-reported: Stanford 7-PARQ	Leisure time, occupational	Continuous: each point increase in light PA time (hours/wk) and total PA score (kcal/kg/day)	All-cause mortality
Matsuzawa et al. 2018; Japan [24]	HD; n = 282; 64.8 ± 10.6; 45.0	4.7	Device: Accelerometer	Total	Dichotomous: <4000 steps/non-HD day or ≥ 4000 steps/non-HD day Continuous: each 1000 steps/non-HD	All-cause mortality
Johansen et al. 2019; USA; HD [25]	HD; n = 727; 57.2 ± 14.3; 40.8	3.8	Self-reported: Modified MLTAQ	Leisure time, household	Dichotomous: Inactive (< 383 kcal/wk; women, < 270 kcal/wk) or Active (≥ 383 kcal/wk; women, ≥ 270 kcal/wk)	All-cause mortality
Stack et al. 2005; USA [26]	HD/PD; n = 2386; 57 ± 16; 47.0	3.6 (mean)	Self-reported: Single question	Leisure time	Categorical: ≤1 times/wk, 2–3 times/wk, 4–5 times/wk, Daily/almost daily	All-cause mortality, CV mortality
Brar et al. 2019; Canada [27]	HD/PD; n = 109; 57.52; 33.0	3.3	Self-reported PASE	Leisure time, occupational, household	Dichotomous: Inactive (men: <383 kcal/wk; women: <270 kcal/wk) or Active (men: ≥383 kcal/wk; women: ≥270 kcal/wk)	All-cause mortality
Zelle et al. 2011; The Netherlands [28]	KT; n = 540; 51 ± 12; 46 %	5.3	Self-reported: MLTAQ and TOAQ	Total	Continuous: log-MET-min/day	All-cause mortality, CV mortality
Rosas et al. 2012; USA [29]	KT; n = 507; 47.8 ± 12.8; 39 %	8.4	Self-reported: PASE	Leisure time, occupational, household	Categorical: inactive, moderate, active4 Continuous: PASE score	All-cause mortality
Byambasukh et al. 2020; The Netherlands [19]	KT; n = 650; 51.8 ± 13.2; 43.7 %	5.7	Self-reported: SQUASH	Leisure time, household, transportation5	Categorical: inactive (no MVPA); less active (median 120 min/wk of MVPA); active (median 360 min/wk)	All-cause mortality, CV mortality

Age is presented as mean ± standard deviation; ¹Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, UK, USA; ²Pooled mean based on the mean age reported for each group; ³median values are reported, otherwise mean values are presented as listed; ⁴Cutoffs not reported; ⁵Authors intentionally excluded occupational of the total reported PA measure

HD hemodialysis; RAPA Rapid Assessment of physical activity; PA physical activity; MLTAQ Minnesota Leisure Time Activity Questionnaire; PARQ Physical Activity Recall Questionnaire; PD peritoneal dialysis; CV cardiovascular; PASE Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly; KT kidney transplant; TOAQ Tecumseh Occupational Activity Questionnaire; SQUASH  Short questionnaire to assess health-enhancing physical activity; MVPA moderate-to-vigorous PA