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The Relationship Between Spiritual Health and Quality of Life Among Students of Birjand University of Medical Sciences

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Department of Islamic Studies, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran

10.30476/smsj.2026.110962.1792

Abstract

Introduction: Numerous factors, including spiritual health, influence the quality of life of medical students. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between spiritual health and quality of life among students at Birjand University of Medical Sciences.
Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was performed on 380 students from the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Health, and Paramedical Sciences during the 2024-2025 academic year. Participants were selected through proportional stratified random sampling. Data collection tools included a demographic information form, the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF), and the Paloutzian and Ellison Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS). Data were analyzed using non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman correlation) in SPSS software, version 22.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 22.86±2.6 years (62.6% female). The mean score for overall quality of life and general health was 63.25±21.9, and the mean spiritual health score was 42.83±7.9. A positive and significant correlation was observed between the total spiritual health score and all dimensions of quality of life, including physical, psychological, social relationships, environmental, and overall quality of life (P<0.05). Psychological health and social environment scores were significantly higher in women than in men. Additionally, certain dimensions of quality of life and spiritual health showed significant differences based on age group and field of study (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The results indicated a positive and significant relationship between spiritual health and quality of life among medical students. Strengthening spiritual health could be proposed as an effective non-pharmacological strategy to improve the quality of life in this student population.
 

Keywords

References
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Available Online from 25 August 2026
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