The Journal of

Women's Self-Care and the Explanatory Role of Religion in its Promotion: a Comparative Study in Yazd
 
Hamideh Shiri Mohammadabd (Ph.D.)¹, Seyed Alireza Afshani (Ph.D.)²
 
1.Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology, Department of Cooperation and Social Welfare, Faculty of Social Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.
2. Corresponding Author: Professor, Department of Cooperation and Social Welfare, Faculty of Social Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.  Email: afshanialireza@yazd.ac.ir             Tel: 09131681590
 
 
Abstract
 
Introduction: Today, religious coping behaviors such as prayer, hope in God and participation in collective rituals are considered as one of the main determinants of health behaviors because it can have positive effects on women's behavioral strategies with the aim of self-care. However, there is little empirical research in this scope and the present study intends to investigate the relationship between religiosity and self-care of women.
Methods: The present research was a survey cross-sectional study. The population of this study included all 18-70 year old, of Yazd in 2020. The sample size was determined based on Cochran formula 737 and was used with Probability Proportionate to Size Sampling (PPS). Data based on a researcher-made self-care questionnaire and religiosity standard questionnaire were collected. Results were analyzed using the software SPSS and Amos 24.
Results: The results on the relationship between religiosity and self-care revealed that the effect of religiosity on self-care was positive and significant. The effectiveness rates of religiosity on women's self-care in the marginal, the middle, and the upper areas were 0.56, 0.38, and 0.36, respectively (p<0.001). Also, there was no significant difference between the intensity of the relationship between religiosity and self-care in the three areas (CR<1.96). Also, the structural equation model had a good fit.
Conclusions: It is necessary that since women's decision to adopt care-oriented behavior is conditioned by the social conditions that surround them, we should pay special attention to the social contexts in which they live to improve self-care performance in them.
 
Keywords: Strategy, Self-Care, Religion, Women.
1- Trinh OTH, Oh J, Choi S, et al. Changes and socioeconomic factors associated with attitudes towards domestic violence among Vietnamese women aged 15–49: findings from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, 2006–2011. Global health action 2016; 9(1): 295.
2- Heidari A, Salehian M. Caring concept: an integrative review. Nursing and Midwifery Journal 2014; 12(2): 129-35.
3- Mills J, Wand T, Fraser JA. Exploring the meaning and practice of self-care among palliative care nurses and doctors: a qualitative study. BMC palliative care 2018; 17(1): 63.
4- Abbaszadeh M, Alizade Eghdam MB, Badri GR, et al. Investigating social and cultural factors affecting the self-care life style of citizens. socio-cultural Development Studies 2012; 1(1):119-41. [Persian]
5- Kingdon C. Sociology for midwives. 2^nd ed. Andrews UK Limited: Mark allen group.2014: 110-37.
6- Statistical Center of Iran. International Classification of Activities for Time Use Statistics.2016. Available from: https://www.amar.org.ir/Portals/0/News/1396/ntagvnshk93-94.pdf
7- Cockerham WC. Medical Sociology. 14^nd ed. UK: Routledge.2017:167-83.
8- Cockerham WC. The new Blackwell companion to medical sociology. 1^st ed. USA: John Wiley & Sons.2016:131-58.
9- Green H. Fit for America: Health, fitness, sport, and American society. 1^st ed. Italy: Pantheon. 1986:100-20.
10- Solasi M. In translation Life and Thought of Sociological Elders. Kozer AL. 16^nd ed. Tehran: Scientific Publications.2010:187-221.
11- Hill PC, Pargament KI, Hood RW, et al. Conceptualizing religion and spirituality: Points of commonality, points of departure. Journal for the theory of social behaviour.2000; 30(1): 51-77.
12- Pfeiffer J, Li H, Martez M, et al. The Role of Religious Behavior in Health Self-Management: A Community-Based Participatory Research Study. Religions 2018; 9(11): 357.
13- Afshani SA, Heddat E, Shiri Mohammadabad H, et al. Assessing the quality of urban life in neighborhoods of Yazd. In: Yazd Municipality.2019. [Persian]
14- Afshani SA. A Study about relationship between religiousness and social trust. Social Sciences 2010; 17(49): 185-217. [Persian]
15- Cameron LD, Leventhal H. The self-regulation of health and illness behaviour. UK: Routledge. 2003:1-13.
16-Jackson JI. Self-Care Practices Among Undergraduate University Students [Ph.D. Thesis]. St. Francis Xavier University.2015.
17-The Institute for Functional Medicine. Self-Care Questionnaire, 2016. Available from: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/581a52ff414fb5c2f581b403/t/59d6c0bfd7bdce90d546a3c3/1507246271211/Self-Care+Questionnaire.pdf
18- Clarke E. Self-care, coping self-efficacy and stress among graduate students in the helping professions [Ph.D. Thesis]. University of Kansas. 2017.
19- Reading S. The self-care revolution: smart habits & simple practices to allow you to flourish. London: Hachette UK.2017: 42-123.
20- Wang HH, Laffrey SC. A predictive model of well‐being and self‐care for rural elderly women in Taiwan. Research in Nursing & Health.2001; 24(2): 122-32.
21-Shiah YJ, Chang F, Chiang SK, et al. Religion and health: Anxiety, religiosity, meaning of life and mental health. Journal of religion and health.2015; 54(1): 35-45.
22- Brewer G, Robinson S, Sumra A, et al. The influence of religious coping and religious social support on health behaviour, health status and health attitudes in a British Christian sample. Journal of religion and health 2015; 54(6): 2225-34.
23- House JS, Landis KR, Umberson D. Social relationships and health. Science 1988; 241(4865): 540-5.
24-Hall AM. Self-care and spirituality [Master Thesis]. California State University. 2015.
25-Goudarzian AH, Boyle C, Beik S, et al. Self-care in Iranian cancer patients: The role of religious coping. Journal of religion and health 2019; 58(1): 259-70.