The relationship of spiritual perspective and functional status to morale in adults with chronic pulmonary disease

Abstract

The purpose this study was to examine how spirituality and functional status relate to morale in adults with chronic pulmonary disease. The relationship of illness intensity to spirituality was also examined. An exploratory, descriptive design was used to evaluate individuals with chronic pulmonary disease (N = 27). The Philadelphia Geriatric Morale Scale, the Pulmonary Functional Status and Dyspnea Questionnaire, and the Spiritual Perspective Scale were used to examine the research questions .. Functional status (Activity) was inversely related to morale (r= -.52) and spiritual perspective was positively related to morale (r = .52). Regression analysis indicated that together functional status (Activity) and spiritual perspective explained 44% of the variance in morale, with betas of -.42 and .43 respectively. In addition, intensity, as measured by the number of episodes per day overall, was positively related to spirituality (r = .34), whereas, intensity measured in terms of how the person felt at the moment was inversely related to spirituality ( r = -.44). The concept of life span development, the overarching framework used for this study, was supported. Specifically, dynamic interaction between an individual and the environment over a life span develops personal growth and stability. This study, provided evidence that spirituality and maintaining activity levels related significantly to individuals' well-being during chronic illness.