The Role of Religious Orientation, Marital Intimacy and Life Satisfaction in Predicting the General Health of Married Women

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Psychology, Eqbal Lahoori Institute of Higher Education, Mashhad, Iran. Z.kermani@eqbal.ac.ir. (Corresponding Author)

2 Master of General Psychology, Eqbal Lahoori Institute of Higher Education, Mashhad, Iran. A.Hasanzade@eqbal.ac.ir.

Abstract

Women's general health is of particular importance because of its great impact on the health of the family and society. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of religious orientation, couple intimacy and life satisfaction in predicting the general health of married women. This research is a descriptive correlational study. The statistical population of this study was all married women who referred to the comprehensive health service centers of District 7, District 1 of Mashhad in 2020, whose number was estimated at 1053 people, of which 278 married women were selected by available sampling method. Responded to Allport Questionnaire on Religious Orientation, Thompson & Walker Intimacy Questionnaire, Dinner et al.'s Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, and Goldberg & Hiller General Health Questionnaire. Pearson correlation and stepwise regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The results of Pearson correlation showed that there was no significant relationship between religious orientation and general health of married women. couple intimacy and life satisfaction had significant relationship with the general health of married women. In addition, the results of stepwise regression analysis showed that the couple's intimacy and life satisfaction each explained 14% and 15% of the variance of married women's general health, respectively. In general, the higher the level of life satisfaction and intimacy of couples, the higher the general health of married women. According to the research findings, it seems that couple intimacy and life satisfaction play a decisive role in predicting the general health of married women.
‌Introduction
‌ Larus describes general health as a mental talent for pleasant coordination, working effectively, and flexibility in difficult situations. The status of women has a significant impact on the health of children, family, society and the environment (Afshani & ShiriMohammadabad, 2016). One of the variables that can be regular in women's health is religious orientation. Allport believes that religious orientation has two dimensions: internal orientation and external orientation. A person with an inner religious orientation lives with his religion and finds his main motivation in religion. But a person who has an external orientation considers his religious tendencies as a tool to achieve personal and social goals such as power and material interests and security and does not have a heart belief in their desired effects (Karimi, Naroui, Nosrati, 2016). O'Connor, Kob and O'Connor (2003) in their research they stated that no evidence could be found to indicate the positive effect of religion on mental health. In another study, the findings of Farhadi, Javadian and Farrokhnejad Afshar (2021) showed that internal religious orientation has a positive effect on reducing death anxiety and promoting nurses' mental health. Another variable that can affect women's health is intimacy between couples. Husbands and wives are satisfied when they are intimate enough to work together and work together to solve problems that arise in their lives (Ozen, Karatas, & Polat, 2021).Research shows that lack of intimacy between couples can sometimes lead to depression and subsequent disruption in couples' relationships (Rahimi and Modiri, 2017). On the other hand, life satisfaction is one of the most important and determining indicators of health. Life satisfaction is a person's cognitive assessment of his life in which a person's criteria play an important role in his assessment of life satisfaction (Rajaei Ghaziloo, Shariatmadar and Farrokhi, 1400). Studies by Kazemi Kariani, Karami Matin, Gabro, Yahyawi Dizaj and Rezaei (2016) show that there is a strong relationship between life satisfaction, physical and mental health. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to women's health as half of the population, which can play a constructive and effective role in the development, evolution and development of society. Given that no research with this title has been conducted so far, the present study intends to investigate the role of religious orientation, marital intimacy and life satisfaction in predicting the general health of married women.
 
Methodology
‌ The present study is a descriptive correlational study. The statistical population of this study was all married women who referred to the comprehensive health service centers of District 7, District 1 of Mashhad in 1399, whose number was estimated at 1053 (Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, 1399). Statistical sample was selected using available sampling method and the volume of 278 married women according to the sample size determination table of Krejcie-Morgan. After explaining the purpose of the study, participants were asked to participate in the Allport Religious Orientation Questionnaire, Thompson & Walker Intimacy Questionnaire (MIS), Diner et al.'s Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (SWIS). And Goldberg and Hiller (GHQ) to answer, 28 questionnaires were excluded from the study due to lack of response, and as a result, the questionnaire of 250 subjects was analyzed.
 
Findings
‌ Pearson correlation and stepwise regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The results of Pearson correlation showed that there was no significant relationship between religious orientation and general health of married women. Also, couple intimacy and life satisfaction had a significant relationship with the general health of married women. Stepwise regression analysis was used to investigate the role of religious orientation and intimacy of couples in predicting the general health of married women. The Watson camera index was calculated for this purpose and its value was 1.85. Given the sample size and the number of predictor variables, this amount is acceptable in the sense that the condition of independence is met. The results indicated that only the intimacy component of the couple entered the equation, which alone explained 14% of the variance in women's general health. Stepwise regression analysis was used to investigate the role of religious orientation, couple intimacy and life satisfaction. One of the presuppositions of this analysis is the independence of variables. The Watson camera index was used for this purpose, the value of which was 1.89. Given the sample size and the number of predictor variables, this amount is acceptable in the sense that the condition of independence is met. The results showed that the components of couple intimacy and life satisfaction each explained 14% and 15% of the variance of general health of married women, respectively.
 
Result
‌ Considering the importance of general health of married women, the present study was conducted to investigate the role of religious orientation, marital intimacy and life satisfaction in the general health of married women. The findings of the present study showed that there was no significant relationship between religious orientation and general health of married women. This finding is based on the results of research by Weber et al. (2014), Firoozi et al. (2013); Farhadi et al. (2021); Palmer et al. (2020); Simon (2010); Money et al. (2019) in line with the results of Niazi et al. (1398); O'Connor et al. (2003) are inconsistent. In explaining this finding, it can be said that by adopting religious beliefs, values ​​and principles and the adherence of more and more people in the society to religion and increasing their religious obligations, the peace of mind and health of the people of the society will be provided to some extent. However, other effective factors in promoting mental health can not be ignored, because a high percentage of the health of people in the community is explained by other factors. Another finding of the present study showed that there was a significant relationship between marital intimacy and women's general health. Findings of this study with the findings of Lifkert et al. (2013); Panahi et al. (1396); Rahimi and Modiri (1396); Ozen et al. (2021); Cucklet et al. (2017) were consistent. Intimacy has always been a major concern for psychologists. Therefore, it is natural for married women who have experienced dimensions of intimacy in their marital relationships to have higher mental health. Another finding of the study showed that there is a significant positive relationship between life satisfaction and general health. The result of this research with the findings of Kalantari et al. (1398); Afshani and Shiri Mohammadabad (2016) and Kazemi Kariani et al. (2016) and Karami (2010) are in line. Explaining this finding, it can be said that life satisfaction is associated with having positive emotions such as happiness, hope, love, competence and productivity. Satisfied and happy people feel more pleasant, do not feel unable to cope with daily stresses, and are more tolerant of failures. Therefore, the higher the life satisfaction, the higher the general health of the person.
 

Keywords

References

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