title: Exploring the association of sense of coherence, and spiritual and religious beliefs in a rural population group on the island of Crete, Greece.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This article reports the results of an observation study, aimed at exploring an association between spirituality, religiousness, and sense of coherence in a population group residing in a rural area of Crete, Greece.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted during the period 2007-2009. Subjects aged 65 years and older (n = 118) living in two remote and rural villages in the Heraklion county (Crete) were eligible. Eighty-nine people (51 women and 38 men) participated. Demographic data were obtained, and all participants were asked to complete the Greek version of the self-reported Royal Free Interview for Spiritual and Religious Beliefs, and the Sense of Coherence Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most participants reported strong religious beliefs and this was found to be related with increased age. Widowed participants expressed greater religiousness and spirituality (p = 0.029). The total score for Sense of Coherence was negatively correlated with gender (women have lower scores, p < 0.05), marital status (widows presented lower scores, p < 0.001), and increased age. A strong positive correlation of the Sense of Coherence score with the Spiritual Scale as measured by three questions of the Royal Free Interview was also identified (p = 0.039).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The impact of gender and marital status seem to be emerging determinants in defining sense of coherence among inhabitants of rural Crete. The positive association between religious/spiritual beliefs and sense of coherence deserves further attention to promote a multidimensional approach in its study.
authors.affiliation: Health Centre of Viannos and University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioanna N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Stefanaki
authors.affiliation: University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shea
authors.affiliation: University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Manolis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Linardakis
authors.affiliation: University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Emmanouil K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Symvoulakis
authors.affiliation: University of Derby, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wynyard
authors.affiliation: University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lionis
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012424:Rural Population; D060685:Sense of Coherence; D012737:Sex Factors; D012944:Social Support; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017805:Widowhood / Q000523:psychology
keywords: coherence; elderly; health determinants; religiosity; spirituality; stress