Functional well-being is positively correlated with spiritual well-being in women who have spontaneous premature ovarian failure
Received 22 February 2006; received in revised form 12 July 2006; accepted 12 July 2006. published online 26 January 2007.
Objective
To examine the relationship between spiritual well-being and functional well-being in women who have spontaneous premature ovarian failure.
Design
Cross-sectional.
Setting
The Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center at the US National Institutes of Health.
Patient(s)
Women diagnosed with spontaneous premature ovarian failure (N = 138) at a median age of 28 years.
Intervention(s)
Administration of validated self-reporting instruments.
Main Outcome Measure(s)
Functional Well-Being, Spiritual Well-Being, Meaning/Peace, and Faith scores.
Result(s)
We found a significant positive correlation between overall spiritual well-being and functional well-being scores. The Meaning/Peace subscale strongly correlated with functional well-being, explaining approximately 62% of the variance. In contrast, the Faith subscale was less strongly correlated with functional well-being, explaining only 7% of the variance. In multiple regression analysis evaluating the relative subscale contributions to functional well-being, only Meaning/Peace remained statistically significant. We found no significant associations between either spiritual well-being or functional well-being and age; age at diagnosis; time since diagnosis; or partner, children, or racial status.
Conclusion(s)
This study provides cross-sectional data supporting the need for prospective controlled studies. Strategies to improve spiritual well-being in the domains of meaning, purpose, and inner peace may provide a therapeutic approach to reduce the emotional suffering that accompanies the life-altering diagnosis of premature ovarian failure.
aSection on Women’s Health Research, Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland
bMark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
Reprint requests: Lawrence M. Nelson, M.D., National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institutes of Health, CRC 1-3330, 10 Center Drive, MSC-1103, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1103 (FAX: 301-402-0574).
Supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, Maryland), and by a grant (J.L.V.) from the International Premature Ovarian Failure Association (Alexandria, VA).
1 Vien H. Vanderhoof and Lawrence M. Nelson are Commissioned Officers in the United States Public Health Service.
ABSTRACT