Spiritual Intelligence and Attitude toward Life in Peruvian Health Science Students

Introduction: Spiritual intelligence and attitude toward life are key factors in the comprehensive education of university students; their interaction promotes personal and academic coping. Objective: Demonstrate the association between spiritual intelligence and attitude toward life in Peruvian health science students. Methods: Cross-sectional, analytical study conducted from July to November, 2024 on a sample of 402 health science students at Universidad Nacional San Luis Gonzaga in Ica, Peru. A questionnaire with characterization variables, the Spiritual Intelligence Scale, and the Herth Hope Scale were used. A descriptive analysis was included, and prevalence ratios were estimated using generalized linear models to examine the relationship between variables. Results: Of the students with the most positive attitude toward life, 57.6% had greater spiritual intelligence, which showed a significant association between both variables (PR= 2.39; 95% CI: 1.82-4.14). Being married/cohabiting, having a good friendship, not having sleeping troubles, considering oneself a spiritual person, practicing prayer daily and being an adult were associated with greater spiritual intelligence; likewise, the category of considering oneself a religious person and praying daily was associated with a more positive attitude toward life. Conclusions: Spiritual intelligence is associated with attitude toward life in health science students; characterization variables associated with higher spiritual intelligence and attitude toward life are reported.