Personal spiritual values and quality of life: evidence from Chinese college students

J Relig Health. 2014 Aug;53(4):986-1002. doi: 10.1007/s10943-013-9686-1.

Abstract

Values are guiding principles in our life. While some studies found spiritual values to be "healthier," Sagiv and Schwartz (Eur J Soc Psychol 30:177-198, 2000) showed that people holding non-spiritual values were higher on affective well-being. We examined the predictive power of these two types of values with a longitudinal data set collected from Chinese students mainly in Hong Kong. Structural equation modeling revealed that spiritual values (as well as family income) positively predicted quality of life a year later. Non-spiritual, self-enhancement values, did not show any association. Results suggest that developing spiritual values may promote well-being through enabling individuals to find meaning and purpose in life.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • China
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Personal Satisfaction
  • Quality of Life / psychology*
  • Religion and Psychology*
  • Spirituality*
  • Students / psychology
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Young Adult