Sociocultural Drivers of Spirituality in Indian Saints: A Principal Component Analysis

Abstract

Human health is multidomain. However, the physical component has dominated health research. Spiritual health, the component traditionally considered the pivot for health and wellness has taken a back seat. Exploring its’ different determinants in the traditional preachers will enhance our understanding of them and will be a guide for their use in the common man’s life.
 Aim: To find out important sociocultural factors/drivers of the spiritual health of Indian Saints.
 Objectives: To identify the important social and cultural determinants of spirituality in the study group by factor extraction through Principal Component Analysis (PCA).
 Methodology: 958 connecting Indian Saints who congregated at Kumbh Mela in the holy city of Ujjain in 2016 were randomly selected in equal proportion from different sects(clans). Their sociocultural background and spiritual score were evaluated by a sociocultural questionnaire and SAI (Spiritual Assessment Inventory). The contribution of sociocultural factors to spiritual score was analyzed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and linear regression modeling. Statistical significance was established at p < 0.05.
 Results: 20 sociocultural factors were evaluated for component loading (factor extraction) and their impact on the spiritual score. The KMO (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure) score of Sampling Adequacy, Bartlett's test of sphericity and Communalities extraction were 0.57, sig. of 0.00 and ≥ 0.4 respectively thereby supporting; factor analysis. On PCA 6 had an eigenvalue > 1. All of these 6 principal components were found maintainable on The Monte Carlo PCA for Parallel Analysis and they together explained 66.20% of the cumulative variance. Their respective taxonomies were emancipation (PC 1), family heritage (PC 2), stimuli (PC 3), faith (PC 4), education (PC 5), and self-hegemony (PC 6). On regression analysis, the four important influencers of spirituality were; participants’ origin from a joint family (p – 0.00), their daily routine for spiritual enhancement (p-0.01), respect for other religions (p-0.00), and self-motivation (p-0.01).
 Conclusion: Emancipation (freedom from family bondage), the presence of religious family background, a fixed daily routine, belief in all religions, an unremitting drive for spiritual education, and self-hegemony were dominant components that determined spirituality in Indian Saints. Translating these drivers for the benefit of commoners may enrich their overall health and wellness.