Abstract: Objective To investigate the effect of family income, gender, age, hemoglobin and disease stage on quality of life in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) before dialysis. Methods The quality of life of 150 CKD patients before dialysis in our hospital was evaluated by using the MOS 36- Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Clinical data and laboratory test results were collected. Results The quality of life scores of physiological function (t=2.121, P=0.017), physiological performance (t=2. 321, P=0.041), bodily pain (t=2.412, P=0.025) and mental health (t=2.121, P=0.017) were significantly higher in male pre-dialysis CKD patients than in the female patients. Age ≤47 years patients had higher physiological function scores (t=2.891, P=0.015) and lower social function scores (t=1.981, P=0.021) than age ＞47 patients. Patients with hemoglobin ≤90g/L had lower scores in the field of social function (F=1.432, P=0.015). Stage 4 CKD patients had lower scores of physiological function (F=3.121, P=0.004), bodily pain (F=1.781, P=0.045), vitality (F=1.456, P=0.034) and social function (F=2.651, P=0.021) than stage 1~3 CKD patients. The quality of life decreased significantly in patients with family income less than 2 times of the minimum standard, especially in physiological function (F=3.213, P=0.001), social function (F=2.231, P=0.013), emotional function (F=3.657, P=0.001), and mental health (F=2.476, P=0.012). Conclusion Family income, gender, age, hemoglobin and disease stage are the critical factors influencing quality of life in CKD patients before dialysis. These factors have important values for early assessment and intervention of the quality of life in CKD patients.

Key words: quality of life, influencing factor, chronic kidney disease