Arefe Fattah , Eman Al-Awabdeh , Alaa Jawad Kadhim, Masoome Ghotbi , Richard Mottershead , Hamid Reza Khosravizade Tabasi, Erfan Rajabi , Hadi Ahmadi Chenari ,
Volume 22, Issue 4 (12-2025)
Background: Postoperative orthopedic pain is challenging; inadequate control prolongs hospitalization and increases costs. The present study examined the relationship between spiritual intelligence and emotional intelligence and pain tolerance.
Methods: This cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted on 170 orthopedic surgery patients at Baghdad Teaching Hospital in 2023. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the King’s Spiritual Intelligence Questionnaire, the Bar-On Emotional Quotient (EQ), and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Patients completed instruments two days post-surgery. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23, employing Pearson correlation coefficients, independent-samples t-test, and one-way ANOVA.
Results: Among 170 participants, the mean spiritual intelligence score was moderate (71.23±8.54), while emotional intelligence was low (184.25±17.3). Pain severity was high, with a mean score of 6.22 ± 0.73. Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed a strong negative association between spiritual intelligence (r = -0.62, p = 0.012) and emotional intelligence (r = -0.86, p = 0.01) and pain, with the relationship being stronger for emotional intelligence. Additionally, there was a positive relationship between the demographic variables of age (r = 0.84, p = 0.02) and the presence of comorbidity (t = 0.45, p = 0.03) with higher pain scores. Variables identified as determinants by the linear regression model included emotional intelligence (b=0.61, P<0.001), spiritual intelligence (b=0.98, P<0.001), age (b=0.17, P=0.02), and comorbidity (b=0.28, P=0.004).
Conclusion: Spiritual and emotional intelligence reduce pain and improve tolerance, with stronger effects observed for emotional intelligence. Strengthening emotional intelligence among patients is essential. Nursing strategies should include training programs to enhance emotional intelligence skills, such as stress management and effective communication, to better equip patients in coping with pain.
