The aim of the study was to determine the effects of spiritual attachment on Ramadan fasting behaviors and spiritual well-being in pregnant women.
Method:
This descriptive study was conducted between April 3-20, 2023, and 307 pregnant were reached. Data were collected using a Descriptive Information Form, the Spiritual Well-Being Scale, and the Muslim Spiritual Attachment Scale.
Results:
The mean score for the Muslim Spiritual Attachment Scale was 61.61 ± 11.40 among pregnant women who were fasting and 63.43 ± 9.92 among those who were not fasting, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p > .05). Regarding spiritual well-being, fasting participants had an average score of 113.47 ± 17.26, compared with 116.69 ± 15.51 in the nonfasting group. This difference was also not statistically significant (p > .05).
Conclusion:
It has been determined that fasting during pregnancy is not related to spiritual attachment and spiritual well-being.
AlaeddineC.SchreiberJ.AminM. E. K. (2024). Ramadan fasting intentions among pregnant women in Lebanon. Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association, 99(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42506-023-00148-2
AwwadJ.UstaI.SuccarJ.MusallamK.GhazeeriG.NassarA. (2012). The effect of maternal fasting during ramadan on preterm delivery: A prospective cohort study. BJOG, 119, 1379–1386. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.2012.03438.x
4.
BackesD. S.GomesE. B.RangelR. F.RolimK. M. C.ArrusukL. S.AbaidJ. L. W. (2022). Meaning of the spiritual aspects of health care in pregnancy and childbirth. Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem, 30, Article e3774. https://doi.org/10.1590/1518-8345.5980.3774
5.
BeshyahS. A.BadiA.El-GhulA. M.GabrounA.DougmanK. K.EledrisiM. S. (2019). The year in “Ramadan Fasting and Health” (2018): A narrative review. Ibnosina Journal of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 11(4), 151–170. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijmbs.ijmbs_77_19
6.
Diego-CorderoR.Suarez-ReinaP.BadantaB.LucchettiG.Vega-EscanoJ. (2022). The efficacy of religious and spiritual interventions in nursing care to promote mental, physical and spiritual health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Applied Nursing Research, 67(1), 151618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2022.151618
7.
DilmenS.DilmenI.OzbekH. (2025). A contemporary perspective on spirituality during pregnancy: A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Religion and Health, 64(4), 2832–2857. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-025-02375-7
8.
EksiH.KardasS. (2017). Spiritual well-being: Scale development and validation. Spiritual Psychology and Counseling, 2(1), 73–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.12738/spc.2017.1.0022
9.
FirouzbakhtM.KiapourA.JamaliB.KazeminavaeiF.TaghlilinF.GorjiA. H. (2013). Fasting in pregnancy: A survey of beliefs and manners of Muslim women about Ramadan fasting. Annals of Tropical Medicine Public Health, 6(5), 536–540. https://doi.org/10.4103/1755-6783.133710
10.
GhazalK.KhazaalJ.ChahineR.HajjarC.El HasanJ.NaserL.KoulaymiE.KoulaymiE.YaredG.YaredG. (2020). Ramadan fasting during pregnancy: Characteristics and outcomes. International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology, 9(10), 3936–3943. https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20204275
11.
GhorbaniM.MohammadiE.AghabozorgiR.RamezaniM. (2021). Spiritual care interventions in nursing: An integrative literature review. Supportive Care in Cancer, 29(3), 1165–1181. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-020-05747-9
12.
HassanS. M.LeaveyC.RooneyJ. S.PuthusseryS. (2020). A qualitative study of healthcare professionals’ experiences of providing maternity care for Muslim women in the UK. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 20(1), Article 400. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-020-03096-3
13.
HossainN.SamuelM.MughalS.ShafiqueK. (2021). Ramadan fasting: Perception and maternal outcomes during pregnancy. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 37(5), 1262–1267. https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4109
14.
Kaya YilmazN.BaltacıN.OdabasogluE. (2024). Determination of pregnant women’s views on fasting and religious attitudes: A cross-sectional study in Türkiye. Online Turkish Journal of Health Sciences, 9(4), 305–312. https://doi.org/10.26453/otjhs.1479717
15.
LatifA.IqbalS.BryantE. J.LeskV. E.Stewart-KnoxB. J. (2025). Experiences of fasting during Ramadan in British Muslims: Psychological, social and health behaviours. PLOS ONE, 20(1), Article e0313688. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313688
16.
LeimerB.PradellaF.FruthA.QueisserA.van EwijkR. (2018). Ramadan observance during pregnancy in Germany: A challenge for prenatal care. Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde, 78(7), 684–689. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-0633-1720
17.
LouA.HammoudM. (2016). Muslim patients’ expectations and attitudes about Ramadan fasting during pregnancy. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 132(3), 321–324. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgo.2015.07.028
18.
MereyZ.Sentepe LokmanogluA. (2019). Religious coping processes of mothers in the neonatal intensive care unit. Bilimname, 37(1), 1117–1153. https://doi.org/10.28949/bilimname.534685
19.
MinerM.Ghobary-BonabB.DowsonM. (2017). Development of a measure of attachment to god for Muslims. Review of Religious Research, 59(2), 183–206. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26378501
20.
MubeenS. M.MansoorS.HussainA.QadirS. (2012). Perceptions and practices of fasting in Ramadan during pregnancy in Pakistan. Iranian Journal of Nursing Midwifery Research, 17(7), 467–471.
NarenjiF.NahidiF.EbadiA.NasiriM. (2018). Spiritual health care during pregnancy from Iranian mothers’ perspective: A qualitative study with content analysis approach. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 21(5), 458–469. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2018.1484434
23.
NoshiliA. I.JamshedM.HamdiA. M.NoshailyA. J.ZammarA. M. A.JabbariM. Y. A.KhudhayrS. Y.AlshakarahN. F.AlmutairiS. M.SaleA. J. (2022). Effects of fasting in Ramadan on pregnancy outcome: Systematic review. International Journal of Clinical Skills, 16(5), 721–730. https://doi.org/10.37532/1753-0431.2022.16(4).242
24.
NusratU.RabiaS.RafiqS. (2017). Beliefs and practices of fasting in Ramadan among pregnant women. Gomal Journal of Medical Sciences, 15(4), 168–171.
25.
OosterwijkV. N. L.MolenaarJ. M.Van BilsenL. A.Kiefte-de JongJ. C. (2021). Ramadan fasting during pregnancy and health outcomes in offspring: A systematic review. Nutrients, 13(10), 3450. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13103450
26.
PlacekC.MohantyS.BhoiG. K.JoshiA.RollinsL. (2022). Religion, fetal protection, and fasting during pregnancy in three subcultures. Human Nature, 33(3), 329–348. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-022-09433-z
27.
PlacekC. D.JaykrishnaP.SrinivasV.MadhivananP. (2021). Pregnancy fasting in Ramadan: Toward a biocultural framework. Ecology of Food and Nutrition, 60(6), 785–809. https://doi.org/10.1080/03670244.2021.1913584
28.
RobinsonT.RaislerJ. D. (2005). Each one is a doctor for herself: Ramadan fasting among pregnant Muslim women in the United States. Ethnicity & Disease, 15(1), 99–103.
29.
SafariK.PiroT. J.AhmadH. M. (2019). Perspectives and pregnancy outcomes of maternal Ramadan fasting in the second trimester of pregnancy. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 19(128), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-019-2275-x
30.
SakarM. N.GultekinH.DemirB.BakırV. L.BalsakD.VuruskanE.AcarH.YucelO.YaylaM. (2015). Ramadan fasting and pregnancy: Implications for fetal development in summer season. Journal of Perinatal Medicine, 43(3), 319–323. https://doi.org/10.1515/jpm-2013-0289
31.
SarafrazN.Kafaei AtrianM.AbbaszadehF.BagheriA. (2014). Effect of Ramadan fasting during pregnancy on neonatal birth weight. Journal of Fasting and Health, 2(1), 37–40.
32.
SaroS.TanawattanacharoenS. (2018). Knowledge, attitudes and practices of Ramadan fasting in pregnant Thai-Muslim women. Thai Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 26(2), 83–95. https://doi.org/10.14456/tjog.2018.11
33.
SavitriA. I.YadegariN.BakkerJ.Van EwijkR. J. G.GrobbeeD. E.PainterR. C.UiterwaalC. S. P. M.RoseboomT. J. (2014). Ramadan Fasting and newborn’s birth weight in pregnant Muslim women in the Netherlands. British Journal of Nutrition, 112(9), 1503–1509. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114514002219
34.
SeckinK. D.YeralM. I.KarslıM. F.GultekinI. B. (2014). Effect of maternal fasting for religious beliefs on fetal sonographic findings and neonatal outcomes. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 126(2), 123–125. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgo.2014.02.018
35.
SeiermannA. U.Al-MuftiH.WaidJ. L.WendtA. S.SobhanS.GabryschS. (2021). Women’s fasting habits and dietary diversity during Ramadan in rural Bangladesh. Maternal and Child Nutrition, 17(3), Article e13135. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13135
36.
ShabudinN. S. M.AzlanS.ZulkifliN. W.ShapriN. A. N.N. M. (2024). Knowledge, attitudes and practices of Ramadan fasting in healthy Muslim pregnant women in Selangor. International Journal of Pharmaceuticals, Nutraceuticals and Cosmetic Science, 7(1), 18–33. http://doi.org/10.24191/IJPNaCS.suppl1.02
37.
SultanI. E.TahaI. M.HassaneinM. M. (2015). Ramadan fasting and maternal perspectives in healthy pregnant women: Systematic review. British Journal of Medicine & Medical Research, 6(6), 573–586. https://doi.org/10.9734/BJMMR/2015/15022
38.
UludagE.Goral TurkcuS. (2022). Ramadan fasting as a religious obligation: A qualitative study on opinions and experiences of Muslim pregnant women about fasting in Turkey. Journal of Religion and Health, 61(4), 2960–2974. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-022-01588-4
39.
Van BilsenL. A.SavitriA. I.AmeliaD.BaharuddinM.GrobbeeD. E.UiterwaalC. S. P. M. (2017). Predictors of Ramadan fasting during pregnancy. Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health, 6(4), 267–275. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jegh.2016.06.002
40.
YildizM.BulutM. B.MinerM. (2019). Adaptation of a Muslim Spiritual Attachment Scale (God attachment) for Turkish Muslims: A validity and reliability study. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 22(6), 645–659. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2019.1587745
41.
ZiaeeV.KihanidoostZ.YounesianM.AkhaviradM. B.BateniF.KazemianfarZ.HantoushzadehS. (2010). The effect of Ramadan fasting on outcome of pregnancy. Iranian Journal of Pediatrics, 20(2), 181–186.
