Psychometric Properties of the Religious Health Promoting Behaviors Inventory-16 among the Students of Tehran

Background and Objectives: Health-promoting behaviors form an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. The present study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the 16-item version of the Religious Health Promoting Behavior Inventory (RHPBI-16) in the student population. Materials and Methods: The factorial structure of the RHPBI-16 scale was investigated through exploratory factor analysis. Convergent and discriminant validity were also calculated. The statistical population consisted of all students of Tehran universities, among whom 300 people who were available to the researchers participated in the research voluntarily. The participants completed the RHPBI-16, Attachment to God Scale, Mental Health Inventory, as well as Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. Results: The convergent and diagnostic validity of the RHPBI-16 scale was tested by examining the relationship between the average score of the participants in this scale and their attachment to God, psychological well-being, psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress. The findings revealed a significant positive correlation between the participants’ RHPBI-16 scores and their attachment to God and psychological well-being. On the other hand, there was a significant negative correlation between participants’ RHPBI-16 scores and their psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress. The internal consistency of the RHPBI-16 scale was calculated and confirmed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The test-retest reliability of the RHPBI-16 scale was calculated and confirmed by re-administering it with an interval of two weeks. The results of exploratory factor analysis confirmed two factors of religiosity and religious health behaviors for the RHPBI-16 scale. Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, the RHPBI-16 scale has favorable psychometric properties for measuring this construct in Iranian samples.