Assessment of Quality of Life and its Determinants Among Hemodialysis Patients: Dialysis Units of East Azerbaijan Province in Iran in 2021

Background: Chronic renal failure (CRF) is a major public health problem affecting individuals’ quality of life (QOL). Hemodialysis is one of the most common treatments for CRF. Although hemodialysis increases the life expectancy of CRF patients, it also arouses several problems affecting these patients’ QOL. Objectives: This study aimed to detect factors affecting QOL in hemodialysis patients in the East Azerbaijan province, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the East Azerbaijan Province in 2021. Data collection instruments were the SF-36 Quality of Life Questionnaire and a demographic information checklist. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS software version 25 using Spearman’s rank correlation, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: The mean score of QOL was 42.6 ± 7.6, and the mean scores of the physical and psychological dimensions of QOL were 40.7 ± 9.9 and 43.4 ± 7.4, respectively. The highest mean score of QOL was 44.6 ± 6.2 for men, 42.7 ± 5.8 for the married, and 41.2 ± 6.9 for those with high levels of education. The mean score of QOL was not significantly correlated with any of the individual characteristics and clinical factors, except for age (P = 0.03), level of education (P = 0.03), and duration of each dialysis session (P = 0.05). From the QOL dimensions, physical dimension had a significant relationship with marital status (P = 0.03), age (P = 0.04), and duration of each dialysis session (P = 0.02). Moreover, psychological dimension was significantly correlated with marital status (P = 0.01). Conclusions: Patients undergoing hemodialysis have low QOL and need further attention from the authorities in terms of care and social support.