Examining patience as a psycho-religious construct in Iranian patients with cardiovascular diseases: a pilot study

The current study aimed to compare patience and its components in cardiovascular patients (CVPs) with healthy individuals. Ninety-one patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) referring to the clinic of Imam Reza in the city of Shiraz in Iran, and 91 healthy individuals were recruited by convenience sampling method. They completed demographics questionnaire and the Patience Scale. The data were analysed by sets of analysis of covariance. Results showed significant difference between CVPs and healthy participants on patience (M = 85.92, SD = 12.69 vs. M = 90.45, SD = 11.33); patients had less patience mean than their healthy peers (F = 9.423, η² =.050, p =.002). The results also indicated that cardiac patients had significantly lower scores on patience components of transcendence, persistence, and delay than the healthy group (all p’s <.05). However, there was no significant difference between patients and healthy individuals on components of forbearance and acceptance (p >.05). According to the results of the present study, it can be inferred that less patience may play a key role in vulnerability to physical illnesses such as CVDs.