Skip to main content
Log in

Measuring Religiosity and Its Effects on Personal Well-Being: A Case Study of Muslim Female Academicians in Malaysia

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Religion and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study seeks to measure religiosity in an Islamic context and to assess its effects on the personal well-being of Muslims. The determinants of religiosity included under this research are prayer, beliefs, and worship. This research also attempts to examine the coping strategies Muslims use to deal with life problems and changes such as prayer, supplication, trust and reliance on God, remembrance of death, and concept of life after death. Today, many scales of religiosity are being put into use among Muslims. This study measures religiosity and its effects on the well-being of Muslim academicians. The researchers used 315 Muslim female of academic staff as respondents, working in Research Universities in the Klang Valley such as University of Malaya, National University and Putra University area of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Their ages ranged from 30 to 60 years. The results of this study show that there exists a positive yet significant correlation between personal well-being and religiosity. The well-being also shows significant positive correlations with beliefs and worship and prayer.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdel-Khalek, A. M. (2010). Religiosity, happiness, health, and psychopathology in a probability sample of Muslim adolescents. Mental Health, Religion, and Culture, 10, 571–583.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abi-Hashem, N. (2007). The agony, silent grief, and deep frustration of many communities in the Middle East: Challenges for coping and survival. In P. T. P. Wong & C. J. Wong (Eds.), Handbook of multicultural perspectives on stress and coping (pp. 457–486). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Al-Fahdawi, S., & Al-Hawamdeh, N. (2002). The influence of Al-Taqua-piety on job performance and job satisfaction. MU’TAH Lil-Buhuth wad-Dirasatl, 17(2), 165–200.

    Google Scholar 

  • Al-Goaib, S. (2003). Religiosity and social conformity of university students: An analytical study applied at King Saoud University. Arts Journal of King Saoud University, 16(1), 51–99.

  • Al-Khalifah, A. H. M. (1994). Religiosity in Islam as a protective mechanism against criminal temptation. The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, 11(1), 1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Al-Munajjid, M. S. (2006). Dealing with worries and stress. www.islam-qa.com/index.php?Pgarticle&lneng&article_id¼12.

  • Anthar, S. (2007). Stress Management: Health concern for Believers May 16, 2007 at 9:57pm. Filed under stress management.

  • Belal, B., Hassan, Y., & Rusnah, M. (2009). Religiosity and work stress coping behavior of Muslim employees. Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues, 2(2), 123–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caird, D. (1987). Religiosity and personality: Are mystic introverted, neurotic, or psychotic? British Journal of Social Psychology, 26, 345–360.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Callan, V. J. (1993). Individual and organizational strategies for coping with organizational change. Work and Stress, 7(1), 63–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, A. (1974). Quality of life is a psychological phenomenon. In B. Trumpel (Ed.), Subjective elements of well-being (pp. 9–19). Paris: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, A., Converse, P. E., & Rodgers, W. L. (1976). The quality of American life: Perceptions, evaluations, and satisfactions. New York: Russell Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crandall, R., & Perrewe’, P. L. (1995). Occupational stress: A handbook (p. 45). Washington, DC: Taylor & Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  • de La Puente, C. (1999). The prayer upon the Prophet Muhammad (Tasliya): A manifestation of Islamic religiosity. Medieval Encounters, 5(1), 121–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E. (2009). Subjective well-being. The science of well-being, 11–58.

  • Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71–75.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ellison, C. G., & Levin, J. S. (1998). The religion health connection: Evidence, theory, and future directions. Health Education & Behavior, 25(6), 700–720.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Emerson, E. B. (1985). Evaluating the impact of deinstitutionalization on the lives of mentally retarded people. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 90(3), 277–288.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fabrigar, L. R., Wegener, D. T., MacCallum, R. C., & Strahan, E. J. (1999). Evaluating the use of exploratory factor analysis in psychological research. Psychological Methods, 4, 272–299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fleming, R., Baum, A., Reddy, D., & Gatchel, R. J. (1984). Behavioural and biochemical effects of job loss and unemployment stress. Journal of Human Stress, 10, 12–17.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ghazali, M. (2001). The socio-political thought of Shah Wali Allah. Islamabad, Pakistan: Islamic Research Institute.

  • Ghobary, B. B. (2004). Relationship between reliance on God and self-esteem. International Journal of Psychology, 39, 5–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Good, M., & Willoughby, T. (2006). The role of spirituality versus religiosity in adolescent psychosocial adjustment. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35, 41–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorsuch, R. L. (1983). Factor analysis (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1975). Development of the job diagnostic survey. Journal of Applied Psychology, 60, 159–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hair, J. J. F., Black, C. W., Babin, B. J., Anderson, R. E., & Tatham, R. L. (1998). Multivariate data analysis (5th ed.). NJ: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helliwell, J. F., & Putnam, R. D. (2005). The social context of well-being. In F. A. Huppert, N. Baylis, & B. Kevern (Eds.), The science of well-being. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henson, R. K., & Roberts, J. K. (2006). Use of exploratory factor analysis in published research. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 66(3), 393–416.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ibrahim al Sani“. (1993). Al Tadayyun `Ilaj al Jarimah. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University Press.

  • Kahle, P., & Robbins, J. (2004). The power of spirituality in therapy. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kandaswamy, D. (2007). Islamic ways of managing stress. Seven ways to deal with stress. Retrieved September 24, 2009. http://www.mindtools.com/stress/RelaxationTechniques/IntroPage.ht.

  • Kasberger, E. R. (2002). A correlational study of post-divorce adjustment and religious coping strategies in young adults of divorced families. In Second annual undergraduate research symposium, CHARIS Institute of Wisconsin Lutheran College, Milwaukee.

  • Kiesling, C., Sporell, G., Montgomery, M., & Colwell, R. (2008). Identity and spirituality: A psychosocial exploration of the sense of spiritual self. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 5, 50–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koenig, H. G., King, D. E., & Carson, V. B. (2012). Handbook of religion and health (2nd ed., p. 1169). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koubek, R. J. (1984). Correlation between religious commitment and students’ achievement. Psychological Reports, 54, 262.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumaraswamy, N., & Azizah, O. (2007). Subjective well-being of women. Malaysian Journal of Psychiatry, 16(2), 27–35.

  • Lazarus, R., & Folkman, S. (1988). Coping as mediator of emotion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(3), 466–475.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Levin, J. S., & Schiller, P. L. (1987). Is there a religious factor in health? Journal of Religion and Health, 26, 9–36.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McDowell, I. (2010). Measures of self-perceived well-being. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 69, 69–79.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McGillivray, M. (2007). Human well-being: Issues, concepts and measures. In M. McGillivray (Ed.), Human well-being: Concept and measurement. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave MacMillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGillivray, M., & Matthew, C. (2006). Human well-being: Concepts and measures. In M. McGillivray & M. Clarke (Eds.), Understanding human well-being. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • McIntosh, D. N., & Spilka, B. B. (1990). Religion and physical health: The role of personal faith and control beliefs. Research on the Social Scientific Study of Religion, 2, 167–194.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mclean, A. A. (1979). Work stress (p. 34). Manila: Addison-Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meisenhelder, J. B., & Chandler, E. N. (2002). Spirituality and health outcomes in the elderly. Journal of Religion and Health, 41, 243–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohsen, N. R. M. (2007). Leadership from the Quran, operationalization of concepts and empirical analysis: Relationship between Taqwa, trust and business leadership effectiveness. Ph.D. thesis, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

  • Mookherjee, H. N. (1993). Effects of religiosity and selected variables on the perception of well-being. The Journal of Social Psychology, 134(3), 403–405.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mujahid, A. M. (2006). 25 ways to deal with stress and anxiety. www.soundvision.com/info/peace/stresstips.asp.

  • Murphy, K. R., & Davidshofer, C. O. (1998). Psychological testing: Principles and applications (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Myers, D. (1993). The pursuit of happiness: Who is happy and why?. London: Aquarian Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nasr, S. H. (1987). Islamic spirituality. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nizar al Ta“i (1985). Miqyas al Suluk al Dini. Kuwait: Sharikat al Rubiyah li al Nashr wa al Tawzi.

  • Noor, N. M. (2008). Work and women’s well-being: Religion and age as moderators. Journal of Religion and Health, 47, 476–490.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nunnally, J. C. (1978). Psychometric theory. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pallant, J. (2001). SPSS survival manual: A step by step guide to data analysis using SPSS for windows (version 10) (1st ed.). North Sydney, Australia: Allen & Unwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pargament, K. I., Robb, H. B., I. I. I., & Rosmarin, D. H. (2010). Introduction to spiritual and religious issues in behavior change. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 17, 343–347.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poloma, M. M., & Pendleton, B. F. (1990). Religious domains and general well-being. Social Indicators Research, 22, 255–276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Safaria, T., Othman, A., & Abdul Wahab, M. N. (2010). Religious coping, job insecurity and job stress among Javanese academic staff: A moderated regression analysis. International Journal of Psychological Studies, 2(2), 159–169.

  • Schaffer, H. R. (1996). Social development (set book). Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scutte, J. W., & Hosch, H. M. (1996). Optimism, religiosity, and neuroticism: A cross-cultural study. Personality and Individual Differences, 20(2), 239–244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sekaran, U. (2003). Research methods for business: A skill-building approach (4th ed.). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taha, A. H., & Salama, A. H. (2006). Strategies of educational and psychological stress. Jordan: First version, Dar Al-Fikr.

  • Tiliouine, H., & Belgoumidi, A. (2009). An exploratory study of religiosity, meaning in life and subjective wellbeing in Muslim students from Algeria. Applied Research Quality Life, 4, 109–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tiliouine, H., Cummins, R. A., & Davern, M. (2009). Islamic religiosity, subjective wellbeing and health. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 12(1), 55–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Hoorn, A. (2007). A short introduction to subjective well-being: Its measurement, correlates and policy uses. In Background paper prepared for OECD conference on measuring progress of societies, Istanbul, June, 27–30.

  • Wilde, A., & Joseph, S. (1997). Religiosity and personality in a Moslem context. Personality and Individual Differences, 23(5), 800–900.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, D. R., & Sternthal, M. J. (2007). Spirituality, religion and health: Evidence and Research Directions. Medical Journal of Australia, 186(10), 47–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood, J. M., Tataryn, D. J., & Gorsuch, R. L. (1996). Effects of under- and overextraction on principal axis factor analysis with varimax rotation. Psychological Methods, 1, 354–365.

  • Zullig, K. J., Ward, R. M., & Horn, T. (2006). The association between perceived spirituality, religiosity, and life satisfaction: The mediating role of self-rated health. Social Indicators Research, 79(2), 255–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Meguellati Achour.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Achour, M., Grine, F., Mohd Nor, M.R. et al. Measuring Religiosity and Its Effects on Personal Well-Being: A Case Study of Muslim Female Academicians in Malaysia. J Relig Health 54, 984–997 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-014-9852-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-014-9852-0

Keywords

Navigation