Investigating the Attitude and Behavior of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences Students Regarding Prayer in 2020-2021

The three main elements of the home, study environment, and mass media have a fundamental role in the tendency and attitude of adolescents and young people to pray. This study was conducted to determine students’ attitudes toward prayer, the causes of their tendency toward it, and its impact on various aspects of their lives.

This descriptive study was performed among 192 students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan City, Iran. Data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire through the press line system. Data were analyzed by SPSS software, version 18 using an independent t-test and One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at a significance level of less than 0.05.

A total of 60.9% of students reported that they perform daily prayers. The Mean±SD score of students’ attitude about praying is 121.99±199.97 out of 165. A significant correlation was observed between the mean score of attitude and behavior. A significant relationship was also found between the mean score of students’ attitudes and the variables of father’s education, father’s and mother’s occupation (P<0.05). The students believed that prayer brings peace and vitality to the soul, order and discipline in life, good mood, family unity, and reduced anxiety and stress.

Considering the role and impact of family and university environment on students’ prayer and students’ beliefs on the impact of prayer on various life issues, paying attention to the results of this type of research to institutionalize prayer among students can be useful.