Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Identification of dimensions and indicators of spiritual health: A qualitative study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

. Reza Ghanbari
. Mojgan Mohammadimehr

Department of Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Spiritual health is considered one of the important dimensions of health and has
been given serious attention by the scientific community, World Health Organization, health discourse,
and medical education. However, despite these considerations, there is a controversy in defining
the nature of this category and its dimensions and indicators. The purpose of this study is to identify
the indicators and dimensions of spiritual health for medical students.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This qualitative study with exploratory approach utilized conventional
content analysis and individual in‑depth interviews with experts in the area of spiritual health and
spirituality in medical sciences selected through purposeful sampling. The study was conducted at
Aja University of Medical Sciences in Tehran in 2018. The semi‑structured interview was a tool used
to achieve data saturation, that interviewed with 19 experts. Member check, credibility, and reliability
were measured to increase the validity and reliability of the results. Inductive content analysis was
used for the analysis of data in three main phases: preparation, organization, and categories and
creating categories.
RESULTS: Based on the findings of the interviews, 52 indicators were identified.Then, the indicators
of spiritual health were identified in the following four categories) relationship with God, relationship
with himself, relationship with others, relation with the environment (and these categories were divided
inthree dimentions (cognitive, attitudes and emotions, behavioral)
CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study showed that in order to have spiritual health, it is
important to pay attention to one’s relationship with God and one’s relationship with oneself, one’s
relationship with others, and one’s relationship with the environment, and it is necessary to pay
attention to it in medical science curricula.

Keywords

Qualitative research
medical students
spiritual health
spirituality
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Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Volume 10, Issue 12
December 2020
Pages 1-8

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