Exploring the Level of Tendency to Prayer and the Factors Affecting It among Students of Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences in 2017

Considering the effect of prayer on each person, especially at a young age and studentship period, this study aimed to explore the level of tendency to prayer and the factors affecting it among students of Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences.

In this descriptive and analytical study, 260 students of Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences were selected by stratified sampling. Data were collected using questionnaire with two sections; the first section was intended to collect the participants’ demographic information and the second one aimed at exploring students’ tendency to prayer and its affecting factors. The collected data were analyzed by carrying out descriptive (frequency, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential (independent-samples t-test, ANOVA) statistical procedures. The significance level was set at P<0.05. All ethical issues were observed in this study and the researchers declared no conflict of interests.

The mean and standard deviation of the tendency toward prayer were 73.96±19.38. The most influential factors in the tendency of students to prayer were the enjoyment of prayer and the achievement of calmness, the prevention of sin and unpleasant deeds and the least influential factors in the tendency of students to prayer were the intimate relationship with the imam congregation, the useful lecture and the scientific mastery of imam congregation during the time of the prayers. The results of the t-test showed students’ marital status and gender significantly influenced their tendency to prayer (P<0.05). Further, the results of one-way ANOVA showed that students’ academic year, GPA, and parents’ academic degree (P<0.05) significantly influenced the participants tendency toward prayer. In other words, the level of prayer tendency was considerably higher in married, female students. Also, students with higher GPAs and students in the fourth year of their studies were more willing to say prayer.

The level of tendency to prayer among students of Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences was good. However, an effective educational program should be designed to strengthen this ritual