Objective   To examine the status and influencing factors of health-related quality of life (HrQoL) among patients with noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs) in urban and rural China for improving the health status of the patients and developing targeted measures on the patients′ health management.

  Methods  With a general questionnaire and the Three-Level EuroQol Five Dimensional Questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L), face-to-face interviews were conducted among 13 362 residents aged 15 years and older selected using stratified multistage random sampling in a district/prefecture/county of one of 5 provinces in eastern, central and western China during July – August, 2018. From the 12 470 participants with valid information, 4 052 NCDs patients (1 474 36.38% and 2 578 63.62% from urban and rural regions) were included in the study to analyze HrQoL and its associates among the patients.

  Results  Among the urban and rural patients, the proportions of reporting difficulties in mobility, self-care, and daily activities were 12.89% and 27.85%, 8.07% and 19.16%, and 12.21% and 29.09%; while, the proportions of reporting symptoms of pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression were 24.90% and 55.97%, 4.95% and 28.67%, respectively. The health utility value was 0.939 ± 0.105 for all the patients and the health utility value of the urban patients was significantly higher than that of the rural patients (0.966 ± 0.090 vs. 0.924 ± 0.110; t = 13.629, P < 0.001). The results of multivariate linear regression analysis showed that for urban patients, those being smokers and having regular physical examination are more likely to have a higher HrQoL, but those being fremale, suffering from multiple chronic diseases, and in families with poor economic condition are more likely to have a lower HrQoL; for rural patients, those being married, being employed, with education of high school/vocational high school/technical secondary school and above, and having an annual household income of 8 000 yuan RMB per capita are more likely to have a higher HrQoL, whereas, those aged 25 years and older, with medical service provided by contracted family doctors, suffering from multiple chronic diseases, and in families with poor economic condition are more likely to have a lower HrQoL.

  Conclusion   Among NCDs patients in China, the HrQoL of urban patients is higher than that of rural patients and suffering from multiple chronic diseases and with poor household economic condition are risk factors of lower HrQoL for both urban and rural patients.