{
  "abstract": "Background: The present study aimed to determine happiness and its correlation with spiritual well-being and attitude toward future career among medical students. Although previous studies have investigated happiness, spiritual well-being, or career-related attitudes separately, and a limited number have examined some of these variables together, evidence regarding their simultaneous relationships among medical students remains limited, particularly in Middle Eastern settings.\n\nMethods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on medical students at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2024–2025. A total number of 394 students (238 females and 156 males) were selected using stratified random sampling technique. Data collection tools were Oxford Happiness Questionnaire [35], Spiritual Well-Being Scale [37], and a questionnaire assessing students’ attitudes toward their field of study. Bivariate and multivariate analyses, including linear regression, were performed.\n\nResults: The study results showed a positive and significant association between spiritual well-being (B = 0.166, 95% CI: 0.140–0.195, p < 0.001) and attitude toward future career (B = 0.097, 95%CI:0.053–0.142, p < 0.001) with happiness among medical students. Spiritual well-being demonstrated the strongest standardized association with happiness. Also, there was a relationship between the economic status of students (B=-1.363, 95%CI:-2.482_ -0.243, p = 0.017) and their families (B = 3.721, 95%CI:1.154_6.447, p = 0.006) with happiness. Accordingly, better economic status was associated with greater happiness.\n\nConclusion: Based on the results of the present study, higher spiritual well-being and more positive attitudes toward future career were associated with greater happiness among medical students. These findings may help inform student support initiatives and future educational research.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of MPH, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran",
    "Department of Islamic Philosophy, School of Theology and Islamic studies, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Mandana Khoshkhoo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Saeed Rahimian"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Alireza Salehi"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6va79n8aqtq02.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1186/s12909-026-10072-6",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13737622/",
  "id": "6va79n8aqtq02",
  "issns": [
    "1472-6920"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-10072-6",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Research"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3207|Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7197016472",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": "PMC13737622",
  "pmid": "42989266",
  "published": "2026-08-07",
  "publisher": "BMC",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6va79n8aqtq02.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-09T12:22:45Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13737622",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-10072-6"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "journal-openalex:F27",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Happiness and its correlation with spiritual well-being and attitude toward future career among medical students in Shiraz, Iran: a cross-sectional study",
  "title_text": "Happiness and its correlation with spiritual well-being and attitude toward future career among medical students in Shiraz, Iran: a cross-sectional study",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T12:22:45Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6va79n8aqtq02",
  "venue": "BMC Medical Education",
  "versions": []
}