Relationship Between Religious Values and Criteria for Choosing a Spouse: Perspectives of Students at Yazd Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences

Authors
Zahra Pourmovahed
Mohammad Hasanzade
Behzad Roozbeh
Parinaz Rouzbeh
10.61186/ibj.25th-11th-IACRTIMSS
Abstract
Introduction: Family is the most fundamental social institution that forms the core of society. The beginning of family formation is marriage, which has a history as long as human life. Finding out about the criteria for choosing a spouse for marriage can be a way to identify marriage and family problems; on the other hand, Iran is an Islamic country, and religion is influential in various aspects of people's lives. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between religious values and the criteria for choosing a spouse from the perspective of students at Yazd University of Medical Sciences students.

Methods and Materials: The present descriptive-correlation study was conducted in 2023. In this study, 190 students from Yazd University of Medical Sciences participated by random cluster sampling and multi-stage method. Data collection was performed using a demographic information questionnaire, Glock and Stark religiosity questionnaire, and Mate Selection Criteria Inventory. Data analysis was carried out with SPSS.V22 software.

Results: The average age of the students was 21.23 ± 1.66; most participants were female students (64.2%) and single (95%). The average score of the students’ spouse selection criteria was (246.98 ± 32.98), and there was a statistically significant relationship between the student's employment variable and the spouse selection criteria score (p = 0.02). The student's average score of religious values was (56.72 ± 16.07), and there was a statistically significant association between the place of residence, educational level, and education of parents with the total score of religious values (p =0.05). Also, a positive and significant statistical relationship was found between spiritual values and criteria for choosing a spouse (p = 0.036).

Conclusion and Discussion: According to the findings of this research, the most important factors for choosing a spouse from the student's point of view were the cultural, family, and moral dimensions, which had a significant correlation with religious values. Therefore, it is essential to become acquainted with one another in detail before marriage.


Keywords
Religion
spouses
students