Abstract
Background. For years, researchers have sought to provide a clear definition of spirituality and its features and consequences, but the definitions provided of this concept still lack transparency. The present qualitative research was conducted to clarify this concept within the religious-cultural context of Iran. Materials and Methods. The present conventional qualitative content analysis was conducted with an inductive approach. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 17 spiritual health experts and activists selected through purposive sampling. Results. Three themes emerged from the analysis of the data, including (1) the structure of spirituality, (2) defects in the conceptualization of spirituality, and (3) spirituality in practice, which are explained in this paper with their relevant subthemes and codes. The definition which this study proposes for this concept is that “spirituality is the sublime aspect of human existence bestowed on all humans in order for them to traverse the path of transcendence that is closeness to God (Allah).” Conclusion. The definition provided by this study is similar to the previous definitions of this concept in its main part (transcendence) and in incorporating a God-centered view of spirituality within the context of an Islamic society. This definition has implications for health services' education, research, and practice in similar societies.
Highlights
As a valuable divine blessing, health is defined by both a physical and a spiritual dimension in Islam, with the latter being even more important [1]
The concept of spirituality cannot be used in health services unless its meaning is further clarified [7]
The present study is a conventional qualitative content analysis conducted with an inductive approach to provide a definition for the concept of spirituality from a conceptual framework
Summary
As a valuable divine blessing, health is defined by both a physical and a spiritual dimension in Islam, with the latter being even more important [1]. The increasing attention to the concept of spirituality, with respect to health, is the result of the extensive range of data produced by empirical studies indicating the effect of spirituality on health [6]. The present qualitative research was conducted to clarify this concept within the religious-cultural context of Iran. The definition provided by this study is similar to the previous definitions of this concept in its main part (transcendence) and in incorporating a God-centered view of spirituality within the context of an Islamic society. This definition has implications for health services’ education, research, and practice in similar societies
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