INTRODUCTION

Spiritual Intelligence (SI), also referred to as Consciousness Intelligence by Becerra-Canales et al., has been scientifically studied for the past two decades and is gaining importance due to its direct link to health, well-being, happiness, humanization, learning, and improved performance in all aspects of life and work ⁽¹⁾.

SI is the individual's capacity to reflect upon and properly manage their social qualities and competencies for personal, emotional, intellectual, and professional development. It is considered as "the intelligence of the soul, the intelligence of the deep self, the intelligence with which we ask fundamental questions and reconsider our answers" ^(2,3). It involves the ability to give profound meaning to life and reality, always connecting with feelings, values, and universal principles ^(3,4,5). In line with these arguments, SI falls within the theory of multiple intelligences ^(6,7).

The ninth multiple intelligence is not necessarily linked to religiosity, as its importance lies in being superior to specific beliefs or religions, becoming a spiritual dimension and the ultimate transcendent goal of an individual ⁽⁸⁾. In this sense, there is a consensus that individuals with an appropriate profile of SI are more likely to improve their interpersonal, occupational, social, emotional, and spiritual relationships, contributing to success in their personal, professional, academic, social, affective, and emotional lives, as well as their overall well-being and personal fulfillment ⁽¹⁾.

Health science students (HSS) have a duty to care for human health, which entails deep reflection on their pre-professional health practice, learning processes, and interpersonal relationships. In the field of health sciences, a true holistic and humanistic education involves developing and nurturing SI in students ^(9,10,11).

Therefore, within the university context, a person's professional training should encompass a humanistic educational project, understood as the comprehensive or holistic development in its deepest and perfectible sense, focusing on their human condition and their deepest values (culture, justice, freedom, goodness, love, respect, hope, beauty, nobility, virtue, etc.), as well as their capacity for autonomous reflection, self-realization, and personal transcendence. This can be achieved by introducing SI as a cross-cutting strategy in the educational curriculum ^(12,13,14). However, in today's society and educational environment, SI is not well developed due to the dominance of materialism, perfectionism, lack of meaning, and lack of commitment.

Very little research has been conducted on the spiritual dimension of HSS, making it necessary to study the behavior of this variable. For these reasons, this research aimed to identify the profile of SI and its associated factors in Peruvian health science students.

METHOD

Study Design and Population

Cross-sectional study conducted from June to November 2022. The population (N=4,262) consisted of health science students from the National University San Luis Gonzaga in the province of Ica, Peru (Figure 1). Using the mathematical formula for finite populations, a sample size of 353 participants was estimated with a confidence level of 95%, population proportion of interest at 50%, and a margin of error of 5%. Accounting for a potential 18% loss to follow-up, the final sample size was determined to be 418 individuals, selected through random probability sampling. Both male and female health science students were included, while those with mental or organic pathologies that impeded expressing their opinions and those with a history of psychoactive substance abuse were excluded.

Figure 1. Geographical location of Ica province on the coast of Peru. 

RESULTS

Among the participants, the majority were female (77.0%), aged 21 to 25 years (65.8%), full-time students (58.9%), single (90.9%), enrolled in the dentistry faculty (26.6%), identified as Catholic (73.7%), did not participate in religious activities (59.3%), considered themselves religious (63.9%), considered themselves spiritual (66.7%), and practiced prayer on a weekly basis (31.8%). (Table 1)

Table 1. Distribution of socio-educational and religious-spiritual variables among health science students. 

n=sample; %=Relative frequency; SD=Standard deviation.

The healthy profile of Spiritual Intelligence (SI) was reported by 21.1% of health science students, with higher proportions found among students who study and work simultaneously (27.9%), married individuals (76.9%), Jehovah's Witnesses (50%), those who participate in religious activities (31.2%), consider themselves religious (24.7%), consider themselves spiritual (29.4%), and practice daily (42.0%) or weekly (24.8%) prayer, respectively. These differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). Additionally, among female students (21.9%), obstetrics students (34.3%), and those over 30 years of age, the differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05). (Table 2)

Table 2. Descriptive and bivariate analysis of socio-educational and religious-spiritual variables according to the healthy profile of Spiritual Intelligence. 

n=Sample; %=Relative frequency; CI95%=95% Confidence Intervals; *Chi-square tests for frequency distribution and proportion difference.

Due to the significant differences found in certain variables, an adjustment was performed using generalized linear models. In the adjusted regression model, considering oneself a spiritual person (aPR = 4.77; 95% CI: 1.98-11.4) and practicing daily prayer (aPR = 3.02; 95% CI: 1.54-5.92) and weekly prayer (aPR = 2.30; 95% CI: 1.12-4.72) were associated with a higher healthy profile of Spiritual Intelligence. However, being over 30 years of age, studying and working simultaneously, being single or married respectively, being an obstetrics student, having Catholic, Christian, or Jehovah's Witness religion, participating in religious activities, and considering oneself a religious person showed an unadjusted association with the healthy profile of Spiritual Intelligence. (Table 3)

Table 3. Unadjusted and adjusted regression models to evaluate the association between socio-educational and religious-spiritual variables with the healthy profile of Spiritual Intelligence. 

95% CI: 95% confidence intervals; UPR: Unadjusted Prevalence Ratio; APR: Adjusted Prevalence Ratio.

DISCUSSION

This study aimed to understand the profile of IE and its associated factors in students of Health Sciences (HSS) in the fields of nursing, medicine, dentistry, obstetrics, and pharmacy at a public university in Peru. The findings from the studied sample revealed that two out of ten university students have a healthy SI profile, while a high proportion (78.9%) showed an unhealthy profile. Similar results have been reported by other researchers ^{(11,17,18,19)),} who found low, moderate, or unhealthy levels of SI with significant inverse correlations with variables such as perceived stress, academic achievement, depression, anxiety, and work stress in university students studying HS and other disciplines. These findings are concerning as SI is associated with the socio-humanistic competence required by these students ⁽²⁰⁾. To achieve socio-humanistic competence, it is necessary to promote the development of SI as a cross-cutting strategy in health professional education ^(19)-,21). SI connects a student's mental and spiritual life with their performance and functioning, influencing psychological variables that can be improved in students ⁽²²⁾. Additionally, SI can impact nursing students' competence in providing spiritual care to patients. Therefore, appropriate plans are recommended to promote SI and increase levels of critical thinking and spiritual self-awareness ⁽²³⁾.

The unhealthy or inadequate profile of SI was predominantly observed in the dimension of "spiritual experience in practice" (85.9%). This indicates that students have deficiencies related to their own principles, student or pre-professional practice, sacred duty, professional service and vocation, belief in a higher divinity, and life mission. These findings are consistent with a study conducted in the region ⁽¹⁾ and may reflect the dystopian society of today. In this regard, Gonzales et al. ⁽²⁴⁾ found a lack of presence of values such as respect, solidarity, tolerance, cooperation, and justice, which are benefits generated by SI, as well as primary values like honesty, responsibility, and coexistence.

In this study, a higher proportion of students with an adequate SI profile was found among those who study and work simultaneously, are married, belong to the Jehovah's Witness religion, participate in religious activities, consider themselves religious and spiritual, and engage in daily and weekly prayer. These findings are similar to those of a Peruvian study ⁽¹⁾. However, they differ in reporting higher SI scores among older adults aged 60 years and above, divorced individuals, and those with an evangelical religious affiliation. These discrepancies could be explained by the differences in the average age of participants between the two samples. The reported statistical differences may be attributed to various factors that influence spiritual intelligence and contribute to its development, such as age ⁽²⁵⁾, spiritual experiences in life ⁽²⁶⁾, and spiritual therapies ⁽²⁷⁾.

Furthermore, a statistically significant association was found between an adequate SI profile and the variables "participates in religious activities," "considers themselves religious," "considers themselves spiritual," and "engages in daily prayer." These findings align with the results of another recent local study ⁽¹⁾, indicating that these factors influence the level of SI as shown in the literature concerning spiritual variables ⁽²⁸⁾. Possessing SI contributes to professional practice and workplace competencies and has been found to be beneficial for nurses and nursing students ⁽²⁹⁾. It also enhances the clinical competence of students, especially in the fields of medicine and nursing, among others ⁽³⁰⁾, and improves empathy and mental health. Therefore, it is suggested to incorporate and develop this modality of intelligence in training programs and governmental decisions ⁽³¹⁾. Additionally, it is effective in enhancing the communication skills of nurses ⁽³²⁾.

As limitations of the research, it should be noted that there are few studies that quantify the variable studied in a population of HSS, which made comparisons difficult. Moreover, a cause-and-effect relationship was not established. However, describing, comparing, and associating the analyzed variables is pertinent and necessary, as it allows for the detection and intervention of specific findings in the analyzed groups. Consequently, further research is needed, including explanatory variables mainly related to unhealthy or inadequate SI. Nonetheless, the study is important as it provides an approach to the ninth multiple intelligence in HSS.

CONCLUSIONS

Spiritual intelligence is predominantly unhealthy in HSS, and there are variables that can be modified to enhance SI. At the same time, there is an urgent need to cultivate and develop it within the academic realm so that it can fully flourish, given its potential benefits.