Investigating the relationship between spiritual and emotional intelligence with academic procrastination in the students of the operating room of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences.

Background: Academic procrastination is postponing the completion of educational assignments. Procrastination among students reduces the level of awareness, which can have irreparable consequences. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of determining the relationship between spiritual and emotional intelligence with academic procrastination in the students of the operating room of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences.

Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional correlational study that was conducted on 69 undergraduate students of the operating room of Hamadan Medical Sciences University in 2023. A 4-part questionnaire collected demographic data, Spiritual Intelligence, Schering's emotional intelligence, and Solomon's procrastination. Statistical analysis of variables was done using descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and analytical (Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, t-test, and Spearman) tests by means of SPSS 24.

Results: Participants were mostly female (60/9%), unemployed (79/7%), single (95/7%), and in their third semester (42%). No significant relationship was found between spiritual and emotional intelligence (r = -0.12, P = 0.20). Academic procrastination is directly and statistically significantly associated with spiritual intelligence (r = 0.27, P = 0.02) but not with emotional intelligence (r = 0.18, P = 0.12).

Conclusion: Operating room students with low spiritual intelligence may procrastinate and perform poorly. Educational management should give courses on religious thinking, problem-solving, spiritual self-awareness, and morality to promote spiritual intelligence.