title: Functional well-being is positively correlated with spiritual well-being in women who have spontaneous premature ovarian failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship between spiritual well-being and functional well-being in women who have spontaneous premature ovarian failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center at the US National Institutes of Health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women diagnosed with spontaneous premature ovarian failure (N = 138) at a median age of 28 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Administration of validated self-reporting instruments.
  
  
  METHODS
  Functional Well-Being, Spiritual Well-Being, Meaning/Peace, and Faith scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Section on Women's Health Research, Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1103, USA.
authors.forename: June L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.forename: O Ray
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: Deloris E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Koziol
authors.forename: Sharon N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Covington
authors.forename: Vien H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Vanderhoof
authors.forename: Karim A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Calis
authors.forename: Lawrence M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016649:Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D012067:Religion; D029181:Spirituality