Effectiveness of a Spiritual Intervention on Weight Loss, Quality of Life, and Health Behaviors in Overweight Iranian Women

Abstract

Background:

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a spiritual intervention on weight loss, quality of life, and health behaviors in overweight Iranian women.

Methods:

The intervention in 10 participants consisted of six 45-60 minute sessions held weekly. A third assessment was conducted two months after the last session. Measures included an assessment of demographic characteristics, body mass index (BMI), a Religious Health Promoting Behaviors Inventory (RHPBI), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF). The sessions focused on healthy eating tips and exposure to the principle of “godliness versus selfishness.”

Results:

Results indicated that those in the intervention group experienced significant weight loss and significant improvement in quality of life and health behaviors.

Conclusions:

In societies with a spiritual and religious context, healthy lifestyle interventions with a religious approach can be more helpful because the interventions are socially and culturally consistent with them.

Introduction

Most people live in regions and countries where obesity and being overweight affect more individuals than being underweight. Being overweight or obese can adversely affect health. Being overweight or obese is one of the significant challenges in the world.[1]

Research indicates that at times of stress or chronic illnesses, people are more likely to engage in religious and spiritual practices.[2] Spirituality includes exploring purpose and meaning through relationships with themselves, others, or God. A growing body of research suggests a relationship between religiousness/spirituality and health, where effects are likely to be bidirectional.[3]

In religious countries, a holistic patient-centered intervention needs to be religiously and culturally sensitive and incorporate healthy lifestyle practices. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a spiritual intervention on weight loss, quality of life, and health behaviors in overweight Iranian women.

Methods

The present research involves a single-group experimental study. Ten participants (ages 18–40) were included. Inclusion criteria were overweight or obese religious women and not suffering from any severe psychiatric, substance use, or physical disorders.

The first and second outcome assessments were held before the first and after the last sessions. The third assessment was held two months after the last session. The assessments included demographic characteristics, body mass index (BMI), the Religious Health Promoting Behaviors Inventory, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF. The summary of the meeting schedule and content is provided in Table 1.

Table 1.

Description of the intervention program

Session	Program
1	Examining expectations about the intervention, teaching healthy eating and exercise, teaching the technique of godliness, summarization, and feedback.
2–5	Teaching healthy eating and exercise, teaching the technique of godliness, summarization, and feedback.
6	Reviewing the topics raised in the first to fifth sessions, summarizing, general feedback about the sessions, closing ceremony, and secondary assessment.

For data analysis by Statistical Package for Social Sciences 21, a repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. The statistical significance level was considered to be 0.05.

Results

The results of the present study showed that over time, the BMI has decreased significantly (P < 0.001). The total score of quality of life showed a significant increase over time (P < 0.001).

Also, the evidence shows a significant increase in the total score of the Religious Health Promoting Behaviors Inventory (RHPBI) index over time (P < 0.001). The religious health behaviors component also showed a significant increase over time, but the religiousness component did not show significant changes over time [Table 2].

Table 2.

Descriptive statistics

	Pre-test		Post-test		Follow-up		P*
	Mean	SD	Mean	SD	Mean	SD
BMI	29.75	3.18	28.13	2.90	27.61	2.73	<0.001
Physical health	22.70	2.58	26.80	3.16	26.20	3.19	0.003
Mental health	19.20	1.14	23.70	2.31	23.50	2.42	<0.001
Social relationships	8.80	1.14	11.20	2.04	11.80	1.99	0.001
Social environment	24.80	3.77	31.00	2.58	30.30	4.30	0.001
General health	6.60	0.97	8.60	1.17	8.20	1.55	0.006
Quality of life	82.10	5.00	101.30	4.14	100.00	7.67	<0.001
Religiousness	26.10	1.79	26.40	1.84	27.10	1.52	0.329
Religious health behaviors	23.30	3.27	27.10	1.52	26.80	3.43	0.007
Religious health-promoting behaviors	49.40	3.44	53.50	2.95	53.90	3.38	0.014
General score	78.30	8.50	79.70	7.21	79.20	6.80	0.807

Discussion

The results showed that the use of spiritual intervention in the present study, especially the teaching of the principle of godliness versus selfishness, could lead to significant weight loss and significant improvement in quality of life and health behaviors.

These results are consistent with the positive effects of religion and spirituality on physical and mental health reported in observational studies.[4] The effects of the present spiritual intervention on physical and mental health are also consistent with the findings from previous intervention studies, as well as with previous R/S interventions in the area of weight. The results are not consistent, however, with other previous studies.[5] This inconsistency may be rooted in the differences in religion, the types of interventions, outcome measures, and cultural and contextual variations. The present study suggests the effectiveness of godliness versus selfishness as a new, fundamental, and valuable technique that can be widely used in psychological interventions.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

Funding Statement

Nil.