title: Factor Structure of the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality in US and Indian Samples with Traumatic Brain Injury.
abstract: The aim of this paper was to determine the factor structure of the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS) based on a sample of individuals from diverse cultures (i.e., USA, India), ethnicities (i.e., Caucasian, African-American, South Asian), and religions (i.e., Christian, Muslim, Hindu). A total of 109 individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) were included. Participants completed the BMMRS as part of a broader study on spirituality, religion, prosocial behaviors, and neuropsychological function. A principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation and Kaiser normalization identified a six-factor solution accounting for 72% of the variance in scores. Five of the factors were deemed to be interpretable and were labeled based on face validity as: (1) Positive Spirituality/Religious Practices; (2) Positive Congregational Support; (3) Negative Spirituality/Negative Congregational Support; (4) Organizational Religion; and (5) Forgiveness. The results were generally consistent with previous studies, suggesting the existence of universal religious, spiritual, and congregational support factors across different cultures and faith traditions. For health outcomes research, it is suggested that the BMMRS factors may be best conceptualized as measuring the following general domains: (a) emotional connectedness with a higher power (i.e., spirituality, positive/negative); (b) culturally based behavioral practices (i.e., religion); and (c) social support (i.e., positive/negative). The results indicate that factor relationships may differ among spiritual, religious, and congregational support variables according to culture and/or religious tradition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Psychology, DC 116.88, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA. johnstoneg@health.missouri.edu.
authors.forename: Brick
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Johnstone
authors.affiliation: Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India.
authors.forename: Braj
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bhushan
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hanks
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Dong Pil
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Department of Religious Studies, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000070642:Brain Injuries, Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality; Factor analysis; Religion; Spirituality