The relationship of religiosity and social support with the pain perception of patients after surgical procedures – a preliminary study

Introduction
The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between religiosity and social support and pain perception in patients after surgical procedures.

Material and methods
The research was carried out using the diagnostic survey method, with a survey technique and research tools in the form of a proprietary survey questionnaire, NRS numerical pain scale, and Zimet’s Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS Statistics and the Microsoft Office suite. In statistical analyses, a significance level of p = 0.05 was adopted. The research lasted from February to March 2020. Eighty patients hospitalized after surgery took part in the study.

Results
More than three-quarters of the surveyed patients after surgery declared themselves as religious. The vast majority of respondents felt support from family and friends during hospitalization. After surgery the patients most often rated pain levels at 3 and 4 on the NRS scale. Pain sensations were significantly dependent on only one examined independent variable, which was gender. The women reported much stronger pain sensations. Women had a sense of greater support from friends, family, and significant people. The study showed a significant correlation between the pain experienced and the religiosity of patients during hospitalization after surgery. Believing patients experienced significantly greater pain than non-believers. However, it did not show any correlation between the pain experienced by the patients and the social support received during hospitalization.

Conclusions
The presented limited study showed that there is a relationship between the pain experienced and the religiosity of patients, which indicates the need to extend the research and look for other factors modifying the pain experiences of patients.