Exploring the Intersection of Spirituality and Religion:Transcendence,Secularism,and Personal Beliefs in Contemporary Society

This paper explores the intersection of spirituality and religion,focusing on how transcendence,secularism,and personal beliefs shape contemporary spiritual practices.It examines the philosophical foundations of transcendence,the rise of existentialism,and the distinction between spirituality and religion.Secularism's role in fostering personal spirituality and reducing religious authority is discussed,alongside the psychological and societal impacts of spiritual transcendence.The paper also critiques the limitations of spirituality,emphasizing the need for a balanced approach that integrates cognitive development and mental health perspectives.

An Empirical Evaluation of the Impact of Moral and Law Course Teaching on the Effectiveness of University Students’Ideals and Beliefs Education

The Moral and Law course serves as a critical platform for educating university students about ideals and beliefs,and it has a significant impact on the effectiveness of ideals and beliefs education.This paper establishes a mechanism through which Moral and Law course teaching influences the effectiveness of ideals and beliefs education and conducts an empirical evaluation.The results reveal that factors such as the relevance and applicability of the teaching content,the integration of theory and practice,the innovation,interactivity,and participation of teaching methods,as well as classroom atmosphere,teaching facilities,and campus culture,all have a significant positive impact on the effectiveness of ideals and beliefs education for university students.

On the relationship between college English teachers＇ beliefs and their teaching behaviors

Based on the questionnaires and interviews on 19 college English teachers of a university in Beijing, the paper discusses college English teachers＇ beliefs. Through the analysis of research results, the paper focuses on the following questions： （1） What are the core beliefs of college English teachers？ （2） What influence will the teachers＇ beliefs exert on teaching behaviors？ （3） Will the teachers＇ beliefs change？ If the answer is YES, how will they change and what is the source of the changes？ The exploratory results and findings can help college English teachers realize the importance of teachers＇ beliefs, through which can help them improve their teaching practices and foster their professional development.

Helping learners construct correct beliefs about English learning

Learners themselves are playing an essential role in foreign language learning. ＂To teach＂ is not enough for foreign language teachers, and what is more important for them is to help the learners construct correct learning beliefs and instruct them how to learn. Based on the questionnaire, this paper sums up the leading deviations in English learning and makes corresponding proposals of how to help students construct correct learning beliefs.

A Study on Teachers'and Students'Beliefs about English Teaching

Teacher and learner beliefs have been found to play an important role in EFL teaching and learning.The present em pirical study explores a group of college teachers'and students'beliefs about English teaching by using questionnaire.The statisti cal result shows that teachers and students have divergent views about many issues in English teaching.

On Beliefs about Language Learning in a Chinese Higher Vocational College

Learners' beliefs about language learning constitute one of the important inquiries in research on individual differenc?es. This study aims to undertake an intensive investigation into the language learning beliefs of college beginners in a Chinese higher vocational college. The findings of this investigation can provide some implications for college English teaching and learn?ing.

Qualitative Research on Learner's Beliefs about Learning English

In the ESOL/SLA field, qualitative studies try to explain the language learning process not merely from psychological points of view, but also from social and cultural perspectives. In this study, a Chinese learner's perceptions of mainstream English instruction in China has been investigated through the interview, and the problem was explained from social and cultural perspectives.

Inquiring Students' English Learning Beliefs in College English Teaching

Students' English learning beliefs play a very important role in English learning. It is one of the main factors which influence students' English learning behavior and outcomes. This paper aims to explore the preconceived beliefs of students hold about their English learning and self-evaluation. Meanwhile, it also offers students' opportunities to reflect their more than 7 years' English learning. This inquiry will try to help students gain more confidence in English learning and make them to change their negative attitudes towards English learning.

On the Student-Orientation of Teachers'Beliefs from Cognitive Perspective

At present, teachers'belief is an exploring topic to the linguists, educationists, and psychologists. Teachers'beliefs not only influence the teaching's attitudes and methods but also the student's interests, abilities and motivation. This thesis attempts to analyze the form, the development, the significance of teacher's beliefs from cognitive perspective. It also analyzes the relation between teacher's beliefs and class and the relation between teacher's beliefs and students to improve the emphasis on teacher's beliefs.

Osteoporosis knowledge, beliefs, and calcium intake of college students: Utilization of the health belief model

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between osteoporosis knowledge, beliefs and calcium intake among college students. This study also examined perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers and self-efficacy related to osteoporosis prevention. Participants: Seven hundred and ninety two (n = 792) men and women ages 17 - 31 of all ethnicities at a mid-western regional university in the US participated in the study. Methods: The Osteoporosis Knowledge Test, Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale, and Osteoporosis Preventing Behaviors Survey were utilized. Each of these tools were previously validated and found reliable. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were completed. Results: Participants did not perceive themselves as susceptible to osteoporosis and perceived minimal barriers to calcium intake. Their knowledge was minimal concerning alternate sources of calcium. Conclusions: Prevention programs should aim to increase osteoporosis knowledge of risk factors and osteoprotective behaviors and to decrease high-risk behaviors during college years when behavior changes can have the strongest impact on bone health.

Medication beliefs predict medication adherence in ambulatory patients with decompensated cirrhosis

AIM To investigate the impact of medication beliefs, illness perceptions and quality of life on medication adherence in people with decompensated cirrhosis.METHODS One hundred adults with decompensated cirrhosis completed a structured questionnaire when they attended for routine outpatient hepatology review. Measures of self-reported medication adherence(Morisky Medication Adherence Scale), beliefs surrounding medications(Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire), perceptions of illness and medicines(Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire), and quality of life(Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire) were examined. Clinical data were obtained via patient history and review of medical records. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and stepwise backwards regression techniques were used to construct the multivariable logistic regression model. Statistical significance was set at alpha = 0.05.RESULTS Medication adherence was " High " in 42 % o f participants, "Medium" in 37%, and "Low" in 21%. Compared to patients with "High" adherence, those with "Medium" or "Low" adherence were more likely to report difficulty affording their medications(P < 0.001), lower perception of treatment helpfulness(P = 0.003) and stronger medication concerns relative to medication necessity beliefs(P = 0.003). People with "Low" adherence also experienced greater symptom burden and poorer quality of life, including more frequent abdominal pain(P = 0.023), shortness of breath(P = 0.030), and emotional disturbances(P = 0.050). Multivariable analysis identified having stronger medication concerns relative to necessity beliefs(Necessity-Concerns Differential ≤ 5, OR = 3.66, 95%CI: 1.18-11.40) and more frequent shortness of breath(shortness of breath score ≤ 3, OR = 3.87,95%CI: 1.22-12.25) as independent predictors of "Low"adherence.CONCLUSION The association between "Low" adherence and patients having strong concerns or doubting the necessity or helpfulness of their medications should be explored further given the clinical relevance.

Influence of Nursing Students Handwashing Knowledge, Beliefs, and Attitudes on Their Handwashing Compliance

Information regarding current status of handwashing knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and compliance with handwashing practice in nursing students in Jordan is limited. This study aims to explore handwashing knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and self-reported compliance and to examine significant variables predicting compliance with handwashing practice among nursing students. The study used a cross-sectional survey design. Results found a statistically significant relationship between nursing students’ handwashing compliance and their handwashing knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs (r = 0.68, 0.65, 0.58, P β = 0.423, P = 0.000), followed by attitudes (β = 0.322, P = 0.000), and beliefs (β = 0.171, P = 0.027). Specific handwashing training courses integrated in nursing education curriculum are recommended. These courses need to consider nursing students’ handwashing attitudes and beliefs in conjunction with handwashing knowledge.

Adolescents' personal beliefs about sufficient physical activity are more closely related to sleep and psychological functioning than self-reported physical activity: A prospective study

Background: Preliminary evidence among adults suggests that the ways in which individuals think about their physical activity(PA) behavior is more closely associated with their well-being than self-reported PA. This study therefore aimed to examine whether and how self-reported PA and personal beliefs about suffbcient PA are associated with sleep and psychological functioning in a sample of Swiss adolescents, using both cross-sectional and prospective data.Methods: An overall sample of 864 vocational students(368 girls, 17.98± 1.36 years, mean ± SD) was followed prospectively over a 10-month period. At each measurement occasion, participants filled in a series of self-report questiocnaires to assess their PA levels, their personal beliefs about whether or not they engage in sufficient PA, sleep(insomnia symptoms, sleep quality, sleep-onset latency, and number of awakenings),and psychological functioning(depressive symptoms, quality of life, perceived stress, and mental toughness).Results: Adolescents who believe that they are sufficiently physically active to maintain good health reported more restoring sleep. No differen?ces in sleep were found between adolescents who meet PA recommendationsvs. those who do not. Additionally, adolescents who believe that they were sufficiently physically active also reported better psychological functioning. This close relationship between adolescents5 beliefs about their PA involvement and their sleep and psychological functioning was corroborated in the prospective analyses.Conclusion: Cognitive factors should be studied more intensively when elucidating the relationship among PA, sleep, and psychological functioning in young people, particularly when aiming to develop new exercise interventions targeting psychological outcomes.

Transition clinic attendance is associated with improved beliefs and attitudes toward medicine in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

To evaluated the differences in knowledge, adherence, attitudes, and beliefs about medicine in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) attending transition clinics. METHODSWe prospectively enrolled patients from July 2012 to June 2013. All adolescents who attended a tertiary-centre-based dedicated IBD transition clinic were invited to participate. Adolescent controls were recruited from university-affiliated gastroenterology offices. Participants completed questionnaires about their disease and reported adherence to prescribed therapy. Beliefs in Medicine Questionnaire was used to evaluate patients’ attitudes and beliefs. Beliefs of medication overuse, harm, necessity and concerns were rated on a Likert scale. Based on necessity and concern ratings, attitudes were then characterized as accepting, ambivalent, skeptical and indifferent. RESULTSOne hundred and twelve adolescents were included and 59 attended transition clinics. Self-reported adherence rates were poor, with only 67.4% and 56.8% of patients on any IBD medication were adherent in the transition and control groups, respectively. Adolescents in the transition cohort held significantly stronger beliefs that medications were necessary (P = 0.0035). Approximately 20% of adolescents in both cohorts had accepting attitudes toward their prescribed medicine. However, compared to the control group, adolescents in the transition cohort were less skeptical of (6.8% vs 20.8%) and more ambivalent (61% vs 34%) (OR = 0.15; 95%CI: 0.03-0.75; P = 0.02) to treatment. CONCLUSIONAttendance at dedicated transition clinics was associated with differences in attitudes in adolescents with IBD.

Indigenous Knowledge, Practices, Beliefs and Social Impacts of Porcine Cysticercosis and Epilepsy in Iringa Rural

Porcine Cysticercosis (PCC) and Human Cysticercosis (HCC)/Neurocysticercosis (NCC) are a burden to the community owing to the reduced value of animals, associated costs of treatment, decreased labour productivity and social discrimination. There is limited knowledge on the management and prevention of PCC and epilepsy in Iringa rural. Therefore, the present study aimed at assessing indigenous knowledge, practices, attitudes and social impacts of PCC and epilepsy in Iringa rural district. A total of 588 people participated in the survey whereby 306 were pig farmers, 223 non-pig farmers and 59 families with epileptic individuals. It was found that 49.8% (χ2 = 0.003, DF = 1, p = 0.954) of pig keepers were aware of PCC, whereas the remaining 50.2% were not aware (χ2 = 25.5, DF = 1, p χ2 = 3.814, DF = 1, p = 0.51). People in Iringa rural believe epilepsy is caused by evil spirits, witchcraft and/or inheritance. It was concluded that there was limited knowledge on T. solium cysticercosis and epilepsy. This ignorance is the cause of poor practices, negative beliefs and attitudes that negatively affect the social life of People with Epilepsy (PWE) in communities. This study recommends that health education to raise awareness on cysticercosis/taeniosis and epilepsy should be one of the intervention measures for elimination of cysticercosis and epilepsy in Iringa rural district.

HIV and AIDS related knowledge, beliefs and attitudes among rural communities hard to reach in Sudan

Background and Objective: There is a rising concern about Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) related knowledge in rural communities of Sudan. This study focuses on determining the extend of knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes about HIV/ AIDS among rural communities difficult to access in the six States of Sudan. Subjects and Methods: Six thousand and one hundred twenty five respondents were interviewed through the method of house-to-house visits. A structured questionnaire was administered by research assistants recruited from the Faculty of Medicine, Khartoum University during a rural residency campaign in six states of Central, Eastern and Northern Sudan during 2008/2009. Results: Of the total interviewees, 48% were aware of the HIV/AIDS risk;46% reported to have good health seeking behaviors for HIV/AIDS. 54.4% of women reported to have better knowledge about the disease than men (45.6%). 38% (2005) had not heard of safety use of condom whereas 16% (320) had used it. Logistic regression revealed that 5.3% of knowledge about the disease was explained by gender, education and religion adjusted over age of the respondents. Conclusions: Mass media were the most common source of information about the existent risk of HIV/AIDS in rural communities. These findings could assist Sudanese National Aids Programme (SNAP), healthcare providers and policymakers to develop informative materials and health education programs to educate rural community is about the risk of HIV/AIDS.

Comparison of Meta-Cognitive Beliefs with Regard to Depressed, Obsessive-Compulsive and Normal Individuals

The main purpose of the present study was to investigate and compare the meta-cognitive beliefs of three groups consisting of depressed, obsessive-compulsive and normal individuals. This expost facto study was carried out on 174 individuals (58 depressed, 58 obsessive-compulsive, and 58 normal). The depressed and obsessive-compulsive patients were selected from psychological clinics in central and southern Tehran using purposive sampling. The normal group was randomly selected from the staff of the related clinics. Participants completed three questionnaires including the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), and the Meta-CognitionsQuestionnaire-30 (MCQ-30). The MANOVA test was used to analyze the statistical data. There were significant differences between the mean scores with regard to the meta-cognitive beliefs in normal individuals and in patients with depression or obsessive-compulsive disorders. Furthermore, with regard to cognitive confidence and cognitive self-consciousness subscales, there were significant differences between depressed and obsessive-compulsive patients. The mean scores of these two subscales were higher in obsessive-compulsive patient, in comparison with depressed individuals. There was no significant difference between the depressed and obsessive-compulsive groups regarding the three subscales of positive beliefs about worry, uncontrollability and need to control thoughts.

Underlying Beliefs Influencing Vietnamese Nurses and Doctors in Screening for Victims of Domestic Violence: An Exploratory Study

Many health professionals in Vietnam have limited knowledge and experience in coordinating care for victims of Domestic Violence (DV). This qualitative study aimed to elicit the beliefs of nurses and doctors that are influencing the care of victims of DV. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews with nineteen nurses and doctors. Data were analyzed by content analysis and organized by three main themes;behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs and control beliefs. The outcomes of this study will inform the development of intervention strategies that will enable health professionals to better respond to and manage care for women who experience domestic violence in Vietnam.

Personality Traits, Medication Beliefs &Adherence to Medication among Diabetic Patients Attending the Diabetic Clinic in a Teaching Hospital in Southwest Nigeria

Background: Non-adherence to drug therapy is an important cause of treatment failure among patients with chronic conditions like diabetes. Previous researches have presented associations among personality traits, medication beliefs and adherence to long-term medication treatment in individuals with different chronic diseases. However, there is limited knowledge about associations among personality traits, medication belief and adherence to diabetic treatment in Africa. It was on this basis that this study was undertaken to assess the personality traits and personal beliefs of patients on medication for Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and to also assess adherence to treatment. Methodology: This study was a descriptive cross sectional study. Using a systematic random sampling technique, 223 patients attending the diabetic clinic of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos were selected over a period of 12 weeks. Patients were interviewed using the Big Five-factor Personality Inventory, Medication Belief Questionnaire and the Medication Adherence Report Scale. Data were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics, Student’s t-tests, Chi Square Tests and Pearson’s correlations analysis. Results: Non-adherence was estimated to be 40.8%. Non-adherent respondents had lower mean score of neuroticism personality traits compared to adherent respondents. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed a weak negative relationship between neuroticism personality trait and adherence behaviour (P < 0.05). There was also a statistically significant weak correlation (r = 0.1) between specific concern medication belief and adherence to medication among respondents in the study (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Personality traits of diabetic patients can influence their adherence to treatment. Patients with neuroticism personality trait and specific concern medication belief tend to be non-adherent to medication. Healthcare providers should therefore pay more attention to the personality traits and medication beliefs of patients in providing effective management for diabetic patients.

Health beliefs toward lung cancer screening among Chinese American high-risk smokers:Interviews based on Health Belief Model

Objective This study aims to explore health beliefs toward lung cancer screening with low dose computed tomography among Chinese American high-risk smokers.Methods Guided by the Health Belief Model,semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with Chinese American high-risk smokers via phone.Additional questionnaires on demographic information,history of smoking and lung cancer screening were collected via email or phone before the interview,depending on participants’preference.Content analysis was used to extract meaningful and significant themes in the dataset.Constant comparison analysis and process coding were used to categorize and code data.Results Data saturation was reached after interviewing 12 participants.Chinese American high-risk smokers perceived a low susceptibility to lung cancer,since they believed various protective factors of lung cancer(e.g.,doing exercise,healthy diet,etc.)reduced their risk of getting lung cancer.All the participants perceived a high severity of lung cancer.They acknowledged lung cancer would have a huge impact on their life.Perceived benefits of lung cancer screening were accurate in most aspects although minor confusions were still noticed among this population.Perceived barriers varied on participants’,physicians’,and institutional levels.High-risk Chinese American smokers had little confidence to screening for lung cancer.Cues to action for them to screening for lung cancer included recommendations from health care providers,support from family members and friends,and information shared on Chinese-based social media.Conclusions Misconceptions and barriers to screening for lung cancer existed widely among Chinese American high-risk smokers.Intervention programs and targeted health education should be implemented to promote lung cancer screening among this population.