THE CORRELATION BETWEEN SPIRITUALITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN ELDERLY PATIENTS TREATED AT THE GERIATRICS OUTPATIENT CLINIC: A FIELD STUDY USING THE VALIDATED SF36 AND P-DUREL INSTRUMENTS

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the correlation between spirituality (religious practices, spiritual experiences, transcendental beliefs), measured by the P-DUREL questionnaire, and health-related quality of life (physical functional capacity, social aspects, pain), assessed by the SF-36, in a sample of elderly people treated at a geriatrics outpatient clinic of the Centro Universitário do Planalto Central Apparecido dos Santos - UNICEPLAC. The questionnaires used have evidence of validity and reliability. The intersection between health, well-being, and spirituality emerges as an increasingly relevant field of research. The search for an integral view of the human being has led to the investigation of spirituality as an essential component of health care. It is expected to find a positive correlation between spirituality scores and quality of life scores, indicating that individuals with greater spirituality have a better quality of life. The hypothesis is that there is a positive association between these constructs, i.e., that individuals with greater spirituality have better scores in the physical and mental dimensions of the SF-36. Statistical analysis was performed using the GNU PSPP software to obtain Pearson's correlation coefficient and the chi-square hypothesis test. The results of this study may contribute to the development of interventions that promote the spiritual well-being and quality of life of the elderly.