Abstract: 【Abstract】Objectives We investigated the prevalence of anxiety symptoms and their relevant factors in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients, to provide the bases for the development of treatment strategies and the improvement of their life quality.  Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted. Seventy-seven outpatients with MHD, 75 outpatients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and 80 healthy adults were included in this study. They were asked to fill out the SAS self-reported rating scales. MHD patients’ socio-demographic characteristics, clinical information, and laboratory parameters were also collected. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 13.0 software. Results Based on SAS scores, the prevalence of anxiety in MHD patients (36.4%) and in CKD patients (38.7%) were significantly higher compared to the control group (6.3%; P＜0.001). But there were no significant differences between the MHD group and the CKD group (P＞0.10). In the MHD group, older or lower educated patients seemed more likely to have anxiety symptoms (P＜0.05). From univariate analysis, SAS score correlated positively with age, and negatively with educational level (P＜0.05). From logistic regression analysis, only age correlated with anxiety. The odds ratio was 1.08 (P＜0.05). Conclusions Anxiety symptoms were much common in MHD patients. Older or lower educated MHD patients were more likely to have anxiety symptoms. Age would be the important factor relating to anxiety symptoms.

Key words: Anxiety, Maintenance hemodialysis, Correlated factor