Relationship between Religious Beliefs and Sexual Health in Married Women of Qom, Iran

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Family is the most sacred institution in the religion of Islam, and women’s health is the keystone of family and society’s health. Therefore, addressing all aspects of women’s health, including sexual health, contributes to strengthening the foundation of the family. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between religious beliefs and sexual health in women.. Methods: This study was conducted on 383 married women aged less than 50 years residing in Qom, Iran, during 2016-2017. Sampling was carried out using the cluster sampling method, and data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire, whose face validity and reliability were confirmed based on the opinions of experts and estimation of Cronbach’s alpha, respectively. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics (Pearson’s correlation and linear regression model) in SPSS. Results: We observed a significant positive correlation between sexual health and religious beliefs. Moreover, our results demonstrated that religious beliefs could predict sexual health, such that 27% of the changes in sexual health were predicted by religious beliefs. Conclusion: According to the results, sexual relationship with the spouse is deemed as a divine and sacred blessing based on the religion and religious beliefs, resulting in a higher level of sexual health.  

Keywords

• Family
• Health
• Sexuality
• Sexual health
• Religious Beliefs.