title: Religious affiliation, quality of life and academic performance: New Zealand medical students.
abstract: The present study investigated the connections between religious affiliation, quality of life (QOL) and measures of academic performance. Participants (n = 275) were recruited from the School of Medicine within a New Zealand university. Religious affiliation was classified according to three subcategories: Christian (n = 104), Eastern religion (n = 34) and non-religious (n = 117). The participants completed the World Health Organisation quality of life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) and the World Health Organisation Spiritual, Religiousness, and Personal Beliefs questionnaire immediately before their lecture time. The main findings of the study indicated that participants from different religious affiliations expressed different spiritual QOL perceptions. However, these different expressions did not translate into their perceptions related to hours of study and academic achievement. In addition, the QOL measures did not relate to academic achievement estimation but did predict hours of study. Greater hours of study were related to greater physical health but lower psychological health and poorer engagement in developing social relationships. Data from a small focus group (n = 4) revealed that these students believed that having a belief system assisted them when coping with the academic learning environment, although little difference could be found between external religious orientations and internal belief systems.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Medical and Health Sciences Education, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand, m.henning@auckland.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Marcus A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Henning
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Krägeloh
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sisley
authors.forename: Iain
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.forename: Susan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hawken
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012067:Religion; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012917:Social Adjustment; D029181:Spirituality; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult