Status of Spiritual Health and Its Associated Factors Among Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis

Borzou, Seyed Reza; Amiri Bonyad, Sajjad; Yousofvand, Vahid; Moradi, Paria; Alafchi, Behnaz

doi:10.22087/ijac.2026.583313.1106

Status of Spiritual Health and Its Associated Factors Among Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis

Document Type : Research

Authors

Seyed Reza Borzou ¹

Sajjad Amiri Bonyad ²

Vahid Yousofvand ³

Paria Moradi ²

Behnaz Alafchi ⁴

¹ Chronic Diseases (Home Care) Research Center, Institute of Cancer, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.

² Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.

³ Student Research Committee, Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

⁴ Modeling Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.

10.22087/ijac.2026.583313.1106

Abstract

Spiritual health, as an essential dimension of quality of life among patients undergoing hemodialysis, plays a critical role in coping with the challenges associated with acute and chronic illnesses and long-term treatment. Assessing spiritual health is crucial for designing effective interventions aimed at enhancing patients’ overall well-being. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the status of spiritual health among patients undergoing hemodialysis. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021–2022 in hospitals affiliated with Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, including Shahid Beheshti Hospital and Besat Hospital. Participants were selected using proportionate stratified sampling, and 170 hemodialysis patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. Data were collected using the Paloutzian and Ellison Spiritual Well-Being Scale. The mean spiritual health score among hemodialysis patients was 84.25 (SD = 14.65), indicating a moderate level of spiritual well-being. Older age and marital status were positively associated with spiritual health, whereas diabetes mellitus as the primary cause of hemodialysis was negatively associated with patients’ spiritual health. Based on these findings, the development of spiritual and psychological support programs is recommended, particularly for older patients and those requiring greater psychosocial support. Furthermore, effective management of diabetes mellitus may help mitigate its adverse effects on spiritual well-being. These results provide valuable insights for future research on spiritual health among hemodialysis patients and highlight the importance of identifying and addressing factors influencing spiritual well-being in this population.

Keywords

Spirituality

Patients

Hemodialysis

Chronic Kidney Disease

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