The Relationship between Spirituality and the Health of College Students in a University Setting

173 Pages·2016·2.23 MB·English

by  Linda Wyatt Nelms

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Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School
5-2005
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Linda Wyatt Nelms
University of Tennessee - Knoxville
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Nelms, Linda Wyatt, "The Relationship between Spirituality and the Health of College Students in a
University Setting. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2005.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/2337
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To the Graduate Council:
I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Linda Wyatt Nelms entitled "The Relationship
between Spirituality and the Health of College Students in a University Setting." I have examined
the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be
accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a
major in Human Ecology.
Robert J. Pursley, Major Professor
We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance:
Robert H. Kirk, James Neutens, Kathleen A. Lawler Row
Accepted for the Council:
Carolyn R. Hodges
Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
(Original signatures are on file with official student records.)
To the Graduate Council:

I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Linda Wyatt Nelms entitled, “The
Relationship between Spirituality and the Health of College Students in a University
Setting.” I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and
content and recommend it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Human Ecology.

Robert J. Pursley
Major Professor

We have read this dissertation
and recommend its acceptance:

Robert H. Kirk

James Neutens

Kathleen A. Lawler Row

Accepted for the Council:

Anne Mayhew
Vice Chancellor and Dean of
Graduate Studies

(Original signatures are on file with official student records)
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPIRITUALITY
AND THE HEALTH OF COLLEGE STUDENTS IN
A UNIVERSITY SETTING

A Dissertation
Presented for the
Doctor of Philosophy
Degree
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Linda Wyatt Nelms
May 2005
Copyright © 2005 by Linda Wyatt Nelms
All rights reserved.

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DEDICATION

This dissertation is dedicated to my husband, John and my granddaughter, Allison Grace.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to thank all who helped me complete my Doctor of Philosophy degree in
Human Ecology. I would like to thank Robert Pursley, Ph.D. for his guidance,
availability and encouragement. I would like to thank all the other committee members,
James Neutens, Ph.D., Robert Kirk, HSD and Kathleen Lawler Row, Ph.D. who each
provided their assistance in guiding the pursuit of my efforts. A special
acknowledgement goes to Edwin Hutchens, Ph.D. and Dorothy Hutchens, Ph.D. for their
personal encouragement and professional assistance with this project. I am sincerely
grateful to John Lounsbury, Ph.D. whose knowledge of psychometric concepts and
measurement applications was instrumental during the creation of the Spirituality Scale
(SS). I am thankful for the assistance provided me by Cary Springer, statistical
consultant. I would like to extend my gratitude to Leland R. Kaiser, Ph.D., co-founder of
the Kaiser Institute in Denver, Colorado, whose “spiritual vision for a healthier society”
served as the inspiration for this research. I am appreciative of the interest and assistance
extended to me by Steve Byrum, Ph.D., Dean of the Spiritual Leadership Institute in
Houston, TX. A special thank you goes to Ronald Blankenbaker, M.D., who has been a
supportive mentor and friend for the past three years. I would like to thank my fellow
Graduate Teaching Associates for their support and encouragement and especially to
those who helped administer my research questionnaire. Finally, I would like to thank
my family and friends for believing in me and offering their continued support and
unconditional love.

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ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between spirituality and the
health of college students. Undergraduate students enrolled in Personal Health and
Wellness classes at The University of Tennessee were selected to participate in the study.
Two-hundred twenty-one students were administered two instruments: The College
Student Appraisal of Risks Survey (The CARS) and the Spirituality Scale (SS). The
CARS instrument was used to obtain descriptive statistics and specific health risk factors
relating to the health of college students. The SS instrument was used to obtain the
student’s self-reported level of spirituality. Based upon a thorough literature review,
there has been limited research into the relationship of the health of college students and
their level of spirituality. This study does two things. First, it reports the development of
a valid and reliable instrument to measure spirituality. Secondly, this study investigates
the relationship between the self-reported level of spirituality and the health status of
college students. The significance of the study is that this research is an important step
toward understanding the role that spirituality plays in the various dimensions of health in
young adults.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter Page

I. THE PROBLEM
Introduction .......................................................................................................1
Statement of the Problem ..................................................................................4
The Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................5
Need for the Study ............................................................................................6
Assumptions ......................................................................................................9
Delimitations .....................................................................................................9
Limitations.......................................................................................................10
Definition of Terms .........................................................................................10
Chapter Summary ...........................................................................................11

II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Introduction .....................................................................................................13
Theoretical Framework: Holistic Wellness Model .........................................13
Research and Literature Related to Content ...................................................17
Research and Literature Related in Methodology ..........................................30
Research and Literature Related in Content and Methodology ......................38
Introduction of Assessment Instruments Used in the Current Study ..............50
Chapter Summary ...........................................................................................62

III. METHODOLOGY
Introduction .....................................................................................................64
Research Design...............................................................................................65
Derivation of Research Questions ..................................................................65
Study Population .............................................................................................67
Instrumentation ...............................................................................................68
Variable List ....................................................................................................73
Data Collection ...............................................................................................73
Analysis of the Data ........................................................................................78
Chapter Summary ...........................................................................................79

IV. ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE
DATA
Introduction .....................................................................................................81
Demographic Descriptive Statistics ................................................................81
Statistical Analysis of Research Questions .....................................................89
Implications of the Study ..............................................................................106
Chapter Summary .........................................................................................114

V. FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary of Study ........................................................................................115
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Findings .........................................................................................................118
Conclusions ...................................................................................................121
Recommendations .........................................................................................123
Recommendations for Future Research ........................................................124
Chapter Summary .........................................................................................125

VI. THE STUDY IN RETROSPECT…..…………………………………….126

LIST OF REFERENCES….……………………………………………...130

APPENDIX …………….…………………………………………………138

VITA ………………………………………………………………………161

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