A Comparison of Religious Orientation and General Health in Runaway Girls and Normal Ones

Background and Objectives: Due to the negative consequence of girls&rsquo; escape, this study was conducted to compare personality, demographic, and religious characteristics of runaway girls and normal ones in Qom city. Methods: In a case control study, 66 single runaway girls and 66 normal girls were selected as experimental group and control group, respectively. Data was culled using interview method, demographic information questionnaire, Allport religious orientation, and general health questionnaires (GHQ). Chi square and independent t-test were applied to analyze final data. Results: Average general health scores were calculated to be 13.9&plusmn;11 and 9&plusmn;6.2 in runaway and normal girls, respectively. The score of religious orientation is significantly lower in runaway girls than normal girls (p<0.05). Moreover, disorders in general health as well as fields of physical and mental health (anxiety and insomnia) are higher in runaway girls than normal girls (p>0.05). Conclusion: Religious orientation was found to be lower in runaway girls than in normal ones. Since runaway girls are subject to physical and sexual abuse, their psychological health is highly vulnerable&mdash;the fact which might pave the way for other social abnormalities.