Predicting of tendency to extramarital relationships amoung nurses based on moral intelligence and predisposing Factors

Moral intelligence means the ability to function based on moral values and principles that is composed of honesty, being responsible, compassion and forgiveness. For some individuals, following the moral principles in decision making related to matrimony and occupational life is an important factor, but for others it is not important. Also, of predisposing factors of extramarital relations we can mention individual, family and social factors. Interaction of three variables of cultural values, couple's self-presenting and strategies of solving conflicts are effective on matrimony satisfaction. This study was performed by the aim of predicting nurse's tendency to extramarital relations based on moral intelligence and related predisposing factors.
This study is a correlation-cross sectional research that was done on 130 nurses who worked in Ahvaz hospitals in 2015 which were selected by available method. In this study, all nurses of general sections who desired to cooperation were invited for participating in the study and after expressing study objectives they were asked to read and answer questionnaires accurately. Entry criteria to this study were nursing in general sections, matrimony, being woman and lack of stressful happenings such as divorce and death in past six months. Exiting criteria from study included un-satisfaction for cooperation and uncompleted questionnaire. In this study, in addition to demographic characteristics form of age and education, moral intelligence, loyalty pathology and tendency for extramarital relations questionnaires were used for data collecting. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistical indices and Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regressions with step by step model using SPSS software version 19.
Moral intelligence questionnaire was designed by Lennick and Kiel. This tool has 40 items and four dimensions of honesty (10 items), being responsibility (10 items), compassion (10 items) and forgiveness (10 items) which was scored by five points scale of Likert (1= never to 5= always). Dimension scores were obtained from item's score summation of that dimension and general score of tools is obtained from items score summation and more score means more existence of that score. In present study, stability of honesty, responsibility, compassion and forgiveness dimension were computed with Cronbach Alpha method 0.90, 0.86, 0.71 and 0.77, respectively.
For measuring predisposing factors of marital relations, achieved questionnaire of loyalty pathology was used. In order to make this tool by Delphi method by 7 specialist persons and performing test in goal group, finally 33 items were extracted. As a result, this tool has 33 items and three dimensions of individual factors (9 items), family factor (13 items) and social factors (11 items) which was scored by using seven degree Likert scale (1= completely disagree to 7= completely agree). Dimensions scores were obtained through items score summation. Formal and content validity of this tool were confirmed by 7 persons of training science and psychological expert's stability of individual, social and family factor's dimensions were computed with Cronbach Alpha method 0.91, 0.84 and 0.86.
Questionnaire of tendency to extramarital relations was designed by Drigotas et al. This tool has 11 items which is scored by Likert five points Likert scale (1-completely disagree to 5= completely agree). Total score of this tool is obtained through summation of item's scores and more score means more desire for extramarital relations. Questionnaire stability in current study was computed by Cronbach Alpha method 0.91.
Ethical considerations: Questionnaires were completed without writing name and family name, by observing secrecy and after written testimonial by participators. Data collecting was done by the same sex participators.
Findings: All participators in this study were women and married and their mean and standard deviation age was 34.90±5.17. Most of participators were in age domain 34-37 years, and had master education 80 (34%). Among moral intelligence dimensions, honesty dimension (r=0.368, p≤0.037) and responsibility (r=0.295, p≤0.001) had a meaningful and negative relation with desire to participant's extramarital relations, but in forgiveness (r=0.113, p≤0.061) and compassion (r=0.083, p≤0.073) dimensions with desire to nurse's extramarital relations, a meaningful relation was not seen. Also, individual factors (r=0.456, p≤0.001) and family factors (r-0.327, p≤0.001) had a meaningful and positive relation with extramarital relations of nurses. In order to specify moral intelligence variables role and predisposing factors in extramarital relations in predicting desire to nurse's extramarital relations, multiple regression with step by step model was used. In first model, individual factors were entered to equation and correlation coefficient of this variable with desire to extramarital relations of nurses was 0.456. This variable could predict 20.7 percent of changes in desire to extramarital relations of nurses (R2=0.207). In second model, after individual factors and after honesty, family factors enter to equation and three variables of individual factors, moral intelligence and honesty dimension and family factors could predict 29.9 percent of changes in desire to extramarital relations of nurses (R2=0.299). Individual factors had the most powerful role in predicting desire to nurse's extramarital relations (β=0.534).
Findings showed that among moral intelligence dimension and predisposing factors of extramarital relations, honesty, individual factors and family factors had the ability of predicting desire to extramarital relations of nurses and individual factors were the most powerful variables in predicting desire to extramarital relations of nurses. As the result, it is suggested that authorities design and perform effective approaches such as holding training terms for reducing desire to extramarital relations of nurses and it is recommended to consulters and therapists that by presenting appropriate trainings, increase the honesty and responsibility rate in nurses; therefore, while women nurses considered concepts and moral principles in their daily interactions as a criteria for their relations and society and family attempt to reduce individual, family and social risky factors. Following the concepts and moral principles and reducing risk factors can provide a protection against desire to extramarital relations.