Journal of Religion and Health最新文献

Spiritual care is an important part of holistic care and is at the center of nursing/midwifery care. Nurses/midwives are expected to graduate by receiving adequate training in spiritual care and gaining spiritual care competence during their student days. It is important to evaluate the spiritual care competencies of nursing/midwifery students and to correct the deficiencies, if any. Therefore, a self-assessment tool is needed to increase awareness and knowledge and improve skills and attitudes in the field of spirituality and pastoral care. One of these tools is EPICC (Enhancing Nurses’ and Midwives’ Competence in Providing Spiritual Care through Innovative Education and Compassionate Care). This EPICC Spiritual Care Education Standard describes the spiritual care competencies expected from undergraduate nursing and midwifery students. For every competence, the learning outcomes are described in aspects of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. This research was conducted with a methodological design to ensure that the Turkish version of the EPICC Spiritual Care Competency Self-Assessment Tool can be used as a reliable and valid measurement tool in nursing research in Turkey. Methodological and cross-sectional research design was used in the research method. The research was carried out with 300 nursing and midwifery students in Turkey. Data were collected using the personal information form and the EPICC Spiritual Care Competency Self-Assessment Tool. The results of exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the four-factor structure of the scale. Cronbach’s α, item-total correlation, test–retest analysis, and equivalent form analysis showed high reliability. EPICC Spiritual Care Competency Self-Assessment Tool For Student Nurses And Midwives: Turkish Validity And Reliability Study consists of 24 items on a five-point Likert-type scale. The Turkish version of the EPICC Spiritual Care Competency Self-Assessment Tool is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the Spiritual Care Competencies of nursing and midwifery students. Evaluating the Spiritual Care Competencies of nursing and midwifery students is an important issue, it is now possible in Turkey with this scale given its validity and reliability.

This study was conducted to determine the levels of hope and spiritual well-being among relatives of intensive care patients. The data were collected using the Patient Descriptive Information Form, Trait Hope Scale, and Spiritual Well-Being Scale. The mean total scores on the Trait Hope Scale and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale were 48.24 ± 8.37 and 104.99 ± 8.06, respectively. The mean scores on the Trait Hope Scale differed significantly according to the employment status, income status, and the reaction of the patient's relatives during the visit (p < 0.05). A significant difference was found between the mean scores of patient relatives on the Spiritual Well-Being Scale according to the level of education, income, and the intensive care unit where the patient was hospitalized (p < 0.05). A significant positive correlation was found between the Trait Hope Scale and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (p < 0.05). This study found that patient relatives had good hope and spiritual well-being levels, and spiritual well-being increased the level of hope among patient relatives.

Spiritual healthcare providers (e.g., chaplains) working in healthcare settings across the United States were surveyed with the goals of (1) understanding their awareness of aphasia (a language disorder affecting reading, writing, verbal communication, and auditory comprehension); (2) determining whether they have received any training in aphasia and what type of training has been received; (3) whether they altered their approach to assessing the spiritual well-being of a person with aphasia; and, (4) what tools were used to augment communication. From a convenience sample of 203 respondents, the results indicated that 96% of respondents had previously heard of aphasia and 85% of respondents correctly identified the definition of aphasia. Seventy-three percent of respondents (N = 128) altered their approach to spiritual well-being assessment due to the aphasia diagnosis. Most respondents did not indicate receiving any formal training related to aphasia.

This research investigated the prevalence and incidence of COVID-19 infection among Seventh-day Adventist Christians in the UK compared to non-Adventists and assessed the pandemic’s impact on their health and dietary intake. Seventh-day Adventists and non-Adventists in the UK completed an online survey, including a Food Frequency Questionnaire, a 24-h dietary recall, and health and lifestyle questions. Participants were followed for 2 years to determine COVID-19 incidence rates. The baseline survey was completed by 170 people, 86 of whom were Adventists. The follow-up at 2 years showed a significantly lower self-reported COVID-19 incidence among Adventists (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.2, 1.0, p = 0.05). The incidence rate among Adventists was 65.48 per 1000 person-years versus 121.79 per 1000 person-years among non-Adventists. Adventists were less likely to experience long COVID (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.12, 0.78, p = 0.01). Despite being older, Adventists had a significantly lower COVID-19 incidence rate. The Adventist lifestyle, including healthy eating habits, fasting, a plant-based diet, and abstaining from alcohol and coffee, was prevalent in this sample. More research is needed to explore the association between the Adventist lifestyle and infectious disease.

Little evidence has considered the extent to which feelings of health-related control may arise from religious beliefs to influence survival expectations. Moreover, research on the linkages between religion and sense of control has yielded mixed results. Using CHAPS (2021) data, this study examines whether divine control beliefs predict subjective life expectancy (SLE), and whether this link is mediated by an individual’s health locus of control (HLC). Findings support a mediational model and show that individuals who place more dependence on God report a greater sense of control over their health, which in turn results in greater longevity expectations. Our findings offer insight into the mechanisms that underlie the association between divine control beliefs and SLE and add to the body of literature documenting religion’s salutary role in promoting both a sense of empowerment and greater survival expectations.

There is a growing body of evidence for the interrelation between health status and religious beliefs. Our aim was to evaluate the level of religiosity in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 and to assess the link between religiosity and measurable health outcomes. This was an observational, single-center study which included patients with moderate-to-severe forms of COVID-19. A total of 112 patients were enrolled in the study, of whom 77 were highly religious (CRS-15 score ≥ 4) and 35 non-highly religious (CRS-15 score < 4). There was no difference in demographics or prevalence of comorbidities between the two groups. Furthermore, we found no difference between groups in radiological extension of lung lesions, length of hospital stays, or ICU need; however, in-hospital mortality rate was significantly lower in highly religious group (1% vs. 14%, p = 0.005). Serum ferritin level at admission was significantly lower (p = 0.03) and prevalence of post-COVID-19 pulmonary sequelae significantly higher in highly religious group (p = 0.02).

This study was aimed at determining the spiritual care and comfort needs of patients having undergone open-heart surgery. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 147 patients in the Cardiovascular Surgery Intensive Care Unit of a training and research hospital in Izmir, a province in western Turkey, between May 1, 2022 and November 1, 2022. The comfort level of the patients who had undergone open-heart surgery was moderate, and the levels of their spiritual care needs were high. A statistically significant relationship was found between the patients’ Perianesthesia Comfort Scale total score and the Spiritual Care Needs Inventory (p < 0.05). We concluded that the patients’ comfort levels decreased as their spiritual care needs increased. We recommend authors to conduct studies in the future which should include different sample groups and compare the data obtained before and after the surgery.

Guided by the bio-psycho-socio-spiritual approach, this randomized controlled trial assessed the efficacy of a self-forgiveness intervention among 60 HIV-positive individuals in Poland. Participants underwent a 90-min "Restore: The Journey Toward Self-Forgiveness" session, in contrast to a wait-list control group. The intervention significantly enhanced self-forgiveness, spirituality, mental well-being, and heart rate variability in response to a cognitive stressor (i.e., a mental arithmetic challenge). Significant effects were observed in both between-group and within-subject comparisons. These results support the incorporation of self-forgiveness into psychological rehabilitation programs for HIV to improve quality of life and health outcomes.

This issue of JORH focuses upon faith and health within three nations that have contributed a great deal in terms of religion and health research during this century—namely Israel, Türkiye and the USA.