Introduction. The assessment of the quality of life of hemodialysis patients enables us to identify their problems – resulting from a chronic disease and the treatment applied – associated with their physical, mental, and social activity. Aim. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life of hemodialysis patients with regard to selected sociodemographic and medical factors. Material and methods. This survey-based study involved 131 patients of the Dialysis Center of the Provincial Hospital in Gorzów Wielkopolski. The instruments employed were a standardized questionnaire – SF-36 and the author’s questionnaire. Results. The most numerous respondents were those perceiving their financial standing as average (50%), sometimes taking part in social life (56%), and not going in for sports (71%). Analysis of the respondents’ concomitant diseases demonstrated that they mostly suffered from hypertension (81%), ischemic heart disease (34%), and diabetes (29%). Vitality was found to be significantly related to such variables as age, marital status, and the type of job, and the mental component was related to participation in social life, stay in hospital, marital status, smoking cigarettes, and financial standing. Conclusions. A high social status, the number of hospital stays, and duration of dialysis significantly contribute to the quality of life of hemodialysis patients. A good financial standing and active participation in social life are accompanied by a higher level of physical fitness. Going in for sports noticeably improves patients’ emotional functioning.

Key words: quality of life, hemodialysis, patient.