Abstract: Objective To explore the status and influencing factors of quality of life (QOL) among type 2 diabetic patients at different stages and to provide references for improving QOL of the patients.Methods A total of 697 type 2 diabetes outpatients visiting endocrinology of Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College were recruited and surveyed with Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36),physical examination and laboratory test from June 2011 to October 2014.Results The type 2 diabetic outpatients with complications had significantly lower SF-36 domain scores for role physical (42.3±29.7 vs.70.5±36.4),bodily pain (69.1±24.4 vs.77.6±22.5),general health (44.6±23.5 vs.66.1±20.7),vitality (60.8±22.1 vs.73.8±24.3),role emotional (58.8±32.8 vs.68.0±33.2),mental health (63.2±21.5 vs.78.9±16.9),and overall SF-36 score (63.1±19.6 vs.75.9±21.3) compared to those without complications (all P<0.001).Multivariate linear stepwise regression analysis showed that the risk factors of lower QOL were low education level,low monthly income per capita,low insulin level,high body mass index (BMI),high fasting blood glucose (BG),high 2 and 4 hours postprandial BG,and high 2 and 4 hours postprandial glycosylated hemoglobin among the type 2 diabetes patients with complications;whereas among the patients without complications,the risk factors of lower QOL were low insulin level,high BMI,high fasting BG and glycosylated hemoglobin,high 2 and 4 hours postprandial BG,and high 2 and 4 hours postprandial glycosylated hemoglobin.Conclusion The QOL of type 2 diabetic patients is related to the stage of the diabetes and mainly influenced by their BMI,insulin level,fasting BG,2 and 4 hours postprandial BG,and 2 and 4 hours postprandial glycosylated hemoglobin.