The Relationship between Extrinsic and Intrinsic Religious Orientation with Perceived Stress and Cigarette Addiction among University Students

BACKGROUND: Psychological stress is associated with unhealthy lifestyles, including smoking. Moreover, religious beliefs can play a significant role in relieving mental disorders such as anxiety and stress. Due to the frequent exposure of medical students to stressful situations, this study was conducted with the aim to investigate the relationship of internal and external religious orientation with perceived stress and nicotine dependence. METHODS: This correlational study was carried out on medical students of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran, in 2015. The sample size was determined to be 224 individuals using the Morgan table. The participants were selected using stratified random ýsampling. The data collection tools consisted of a demographic information form, the Religious Orientation Scale (ROS) (Allport and Ross), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14), and the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND). Data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation coefficient, and t-test in SPSS software. FINDINGS: The findings of the study showed that internal religious orientation had a significant negative relationship with perceived stress and nicotine dependence; however, no significant relationship was observed between external religious orientation and these variables. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the religious beliefs of individuals have a preventive role in perceived stress and nicotine dependence.