Evaluation of relation between anxiety and religious attitude with self-actualization in the undergraduate faculty students

BACKGROUND: Religion and spirituality are sources for adaptation to life-stressful events, reducing anxiety, and also increasing self-actualization. This study aimed to determine the relationship between religious attitude and anxiety and self-actualization among nursing students in the southwest of Iran.METHODS: In this correlational study, 199 students with informed consent were selected from the Faculty of Medical Sciences using convenience sampling. The instrument was demographic questionnaires, Glock and Stark's religious attitude inventory and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). To conduct analyses of the data, statistical tests and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used using SPSS v.16 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) and AMOS v.18 (SPSS Inc.).RESULTS: The results showed a negative and significant correlation between dimensions of religious attitude with the level of anxiety (state and trait) (P=0.025). However, the correlation between religious attitude and self-actualization is positive and significant (P<0.001). In the demographic variables, there was a significant difference between anxiety and field of study (P=0.003). So that the nutrition field students had the highest level of anxiety, and the medical emergency field had the most minor level of anxiety. Using a structural model (SEM), the relationship between religious attitude with anxiety was -0.26 and with self-actualization, it was about 0.34.CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that the religious attitude and self-actualization of the participants were high, and the anxiety level was moderate. Therefore, the findings of the study can be considered as a guide for planners and educational authorities of universities.