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Correlation between Self-esteem, Death Anxiety, and Spiritual Wellbeing in Korean University Students

Mi Young Chung1, Kyeong-Sook Cha1, Ok-Hee Cho2
Korean Journal of Adult Nursing 2015;27(3):367-374.
Published online: June 30, 2015

1Department of Nursing Science, Sun Moon University, Asan

2Department of Nursing, College of Nursing and Health, Kongju National University, Gongju, Korea

Corresponding author: Cho, Ok-Hee Department of Nursing, College of Nursing and Health, Kongju National University, 56 Gongjudeahak-ro, Gongju 314-701, Korea. Tel: +82-41-850-0306, Fax: +82-41-850-0315, E-mail: ohcho@kongju.ac.kr
• Received: March 30, 2015   • Accepted: June 11, 2015

Copyright © 2015 Korean Society of Adult Nursing

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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  • Purpose
    This study aimed at understanding the correlation between self-esteem, death anxiety, and spiritual wellbeing in university students.
  • Methods
    Cross-sectional method was used 671 students in South Korea. This study used the Self-esteem developed by Rosenberg, the Fear of Death Scale revised by Lester and Abdel-Khalek, and Spiritual wellbeing developed by Paloutzian and Ellison.
  • Results
    Relationships between self-esteem, death anxiety, and spiritual wellbeing revealed an inverse correlation between self-esteem and death anxiety, and a direct correlation between self-esteem and spiritual wellbeing.
  • Conclusion
    In order for students of establishing identity to lead a healthy life, there is a need for studies aiming at developing, implementing, and evaluating the results of consultation and education programs for maintaining spiritual wellbeing such as psychological counseling and logotherapy at the university or regional community level.
  • Key Words: Self-esteem; Death anxiety; Spiritual wellbeing
Table 1.
General Characteristics of Participants (N=671)
Characteristics Categories n (%)
Gender Male 413 (61.6)
Female 258 (38.4)
Grade freshmen 129 (19.2)
sophomores 169 (25.2)
juniors 218 (32.5)
seniors 155 (23.1)
Economic status Poor 108 (16.1)
Moderate 500 (74.5)
Good 63 (9.4)
Religion Yes 227 (33.8)
No 444 (66.2)
Place of residence Alone 106 (15.8)
Dormitory 307 (45.8)
With the family 258 (38.4)
Indirect death experience Yes 469 (69.9)
No 202 (30.1)
Suicidal ideation Yes 125 (18.6)
No 546 (81.4)
Table 2.
Self-esteem, Death anxiety and Spiritual Wellbeing according to Characteristics of the Participants (N=671)
Characteristics Categories Self-esteem Death anxiety Spiritual wellbeing
M±SD t or F (p) M±SD t or F (p) M±SD t or F (p)
Gender Male 30.15±4.88 5.01 89.98±19.64 -1.03 73.10±14.33 3.30
Female 28.23±4.70 (＜.001) 91.56±18.73 (.303) 69.65±12.37 (.001)
Grade Freshmen 28.33±4.78a 3.56 92.17±21.39 1.93 69.28±13.39a 5.33
Sophomores 29.60±5.10b (.014) 88.15±18.95 (.123) 69.55±12.63a (.001)
Juniors 30.05±4.81b a＜b 89.99±19.96   73.61±14.26b a＜b
Seniors 29.21±4.79   92.78±16.50   73.70±13.72b  
Economic status Poor 28.44±4.90a 9.67 95.65±21.90a 4.54 68.97±14.26a 4.41
Moderate 29.32±4.78a (＜.001) 89.51±18.78b (.010) 71.94±13.39 (.013)
Good 31.76±5.18b a＜b 90.48±17.38b a＞b 75.29±14.45b a＜b
Religion Yes 29.34±4.63 -0.26 89.72±17.84 -0.83 78.48±14.08 9.23
No 29.45±5.04 (.793) 91.03±20.00 (.405) 68.34±12.16 (＜.001)
Place of residence Alone 29.31±4.77 1.69 95.24±17.21a 4.29 69.21±13.39a 7.19
Dormitory 29.77±5.03 (.185) 88.91±20.21b (.014) 73.90±13.81b (.001)
With the family 29.02±4.79   90.69±18.74b a＞b 70.30±13.37b a＜b
Indirect death experience Yes 29.58±4.92 1.39 91.94±18.53 2.77 71.31±13.86 -1.34
No 29.01±4.85 (.166) 87.47±20.68 (.006) 72.86±13.30 (.180)
Suicidal ideation Yes 29.60±4.74 5.22 98.57±17.66 -4.03 67.37±12.98 -7.39
No 30.06±4.71 (＜.001) 88.76±19.20 (＜.001) 72.78±13.68 (＜.001)
Total   29.41±4.90   90.59±19.30   71.77±13.70  

a, b, c: Bonferroni t-test (means with the same le etter are not signifi cantly differen nt).

Table 3.
Correlation between Self-esteem, Death Anxiety and Spiritual Wellbeing (N=671)
Variables Self-esteem Death anxiety Spiritual wellbeing
r (p) r (p) r (p)
Self-esteem   -.31 (＜.001) .50 (＜.001)
Death anxiety     -.25 (＜.001)
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    Correlation between Self-esteem, Death Anxiety, and Spiritual Wellbeing in Korean University Students
    Korean J Adult Nurs. 2015;27(3):367-374.   Published online June 30, 2015
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.7475/kjan.2015.27.3.367
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    Correlation between Self-esteem, Death Anxiety, and Spiritual Wellbeing in Korean University Students
    Korean J Adult Nurs. 2015;27(3):367-374.   Published online June 30, 2015
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.7475/kjan.2015.27.3.367
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    Correlation between Self-esteem, Death Anxiety, and Spiritual Wellbeing in Korean University Students
    Correlation between Self-esteem, Death Anxiety, and Spiritual Wellbeing in Korean University Students

    General Characteristics of Participants (N=671)

    Characteristics Categories n (%)
    Gender Male 413 (61.6)
    Female 258 (38.4)
    Grade freshmen 129 (19.2)
    sophomores 169 (25.2)
    juniors 218 (32.5)
    seniors 155 (23.1)
    Economic status Poor 108 (16.1)
    Moderate 500 (74.5)
    Good 63 (9.4)
    Religion Yes 227 (33.8)
    No 444 (66.2)
    Place of residence Alone 106 (15.8)
    Dormitory 307 (45.8)
    With the family 258 (38.4)
    Indirect death experience Yes 469 (69.9)
    No 202 (30.1)
    Suicidal ideation Yes 125 (18.6)
    No 546 (81.4)

    Self-esteem, Death anxiety and Spiritual Wellbeing according to Characteristics of the Participants (N=671)

    Characteristics Categories Self-esteem Death anxiety Spiritual wellbeing
    M±SD t or F (p) M±SD t or F (p) M±SD t or F (p)
    Gender Male 30.15±4.88 5.01 89.98±19.64 -1.03 73.10±14.33 3.30
    Female 28.23±4.70 (＜.001) 91.56±18.73 (.303) 69.65±12.37 (.001)
    Grade Freshmen 28.33±4.78a 3.56 92.17±21.39 1.93 69.28±13.39a 5.33
    Sophomores 29.60±5.10b (.014) 88.15±18.95 (.123) 69.55±12.63a (.001)
    Juniors 30.05±4.81b a＜b 89.99±19.96   73.61±14.26b a＜b
    Seniors 29.21±4.79   92.78±16.50   73.70±13.72b  
    Economic status Poor 28.44±4.90a 9.67 95.65±21.90a 4.54 68.97±14.26a 4.41
    Moderate 29.32±4.78a (＜.001) 89.51±18.78b (.010) 71.94±13.39 (.013)
    Good 31.76±5.18b a＜b 90.48±17.38b a＞b 75.29±14.45b a＜b
    Religion Yes 29.34±4.63 -0.26 89.72±17.84 -0.83 78.48±14.08 9.23
    No 29.45±5.04 (.793) 91.03±20.00 (.405) 68.34±12.16 (＜.001)
    Place of residence Alone 29.31±4.77 1.69 95.24±17.21a 4.29 69.21±13.39a 7.19
    Dormitory 29.77±5.03 (.185) 88.91±20.21b (.014) 73.90±13.81b (.001)
    With the family 29.02±4.79   90.69±18.74b a＞b 70.30±13.37b a＜b
    Indirect death experience Yes 29.58±4.92 1.39 91.94±18.53 2.77 71.31±13.86 -1.34
    No 29.01±4.85 (.166) 87.47±20.68 (.006) 72.86±13.30 (.180)
    Suicidal ideation Yes 29.60±4.74 5.22 98.57±17.66 -4.03 67.37±12.98 -7.39
    No 30.06±4.71 (＜.001) 88.76±19.20 (＜.001) 72.78±13.68 (＜.001)
    Total   29.41±4.90   90.59±19.30   71.77±13.70  

    a, b, c: Bonferroni t-test (means with the same le etter are not signifi cantly differen nt).

    Correlation between Self-esteem, Death Anxiety and Spiritual Wellbeing (N=671)

    Variables Self-esteem Death anxiety Spiritual wellbeing
    r (p) r (p) r (p)
    Self-esteem   -.31 (＜.001) .50 (＜.001)
    Death anxiety     -.25 (＜.001)
    Table 1. General Characteristics of Participants (N=671)

    Table 2. Self-esteem, Death anxiety and Spiritual Wellbeing according to Characteristics of the Participants (N=671)

    a, b, c: Bonferroni t-test (means with the same le etter are not signifi cantly differen nt).

    Table 3. Correlation between Self-esteem, Death Anxiety and Spiritual Wellbeing (N=671)

    Table 1.

    Table 2.

    Table 3.

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