There are many burn patients in China who should be concerned about their quality of life. This study aims to identify the characteristics and factors affecting quality of life among such patients.This prospective cohort study included burn patients aged ≥ 18 who were admitted within 48 h after injury in Wuhan Burn Center of Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University (Wuhan Third Hospital) between August 2018 and March 2019. The Burn Specific Health Scale Brief (BSHS-B) and a self-made questionnaire were used to collect data of main outcome measures. Logistic regression and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the influencing factors.A total of 216 patients, 149 men and 67 women with a mean age of 46.51 ± 15.1 years, were analyzed, including 39 patients (18.1 %) aged over 60 years. The total body surface area burned (TBSA) was 8 (5, 15) %, which included 117 cases of mild burns (54.2 %), 82 cases of moderate burns (38.0 %), 12 cases of extensive burns (5.6 %), and 5 cases of critical burns (2.3 %). At 2 years after discharge follow-up, the top three problems that troubled patients were scarring (175 cases, 81.0 %), itching (57 cases, 26.4 %), and pain (38 cases, 17.6 %). Also, 147 patients (83.1 %) aged 60 years or younger returned to work. Female (OR=4.368, 95 % CI [1.511, 12.632], P = 0.007), age (OR=1.120, 95 % CI [1.052, 1.192], P < 0.001), and wound healing time over 10 d (OR=3.522, 95 % CI [1.076, 11.533], P = 0.037) were risk factors of failure to return to work at 2 years after discharge. Burn severity, older age, pain score, itching score, work status, etiology, burn depth, and multiple sites of injury affected subscores of quality of life.In China, burn patients face numerous difficulties after discharge, including scars, pain, and itching, especially for those with severe burns and elderly patients, whose quality of life is greatly affected.Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Ltd and International Society of Burns Injuries. All rights reserved.