Designing an Optimal Model of Social Health in the Higher Education System Using a Grounded Theory Approach
Journal of Pizhūhish dar dīn va Salāmat (i.e., Research on Religion & Health),
Vol. 11 No. 1 (2025),
25 December 2025
,
Page 38-51
https://doi.org/10.22037/jrrh.v11i1.45075
Abstract
Background and Objective: Social health is one of the dimensions of health that plays a significant role in the social interactions of every individual. Its expansion in the higher education system can facilitate social development. Therefore, the aim of this study was to present an optimal model of social health in the higher education system of the country.
Methods: This qualitative research was conducted using a grounded theory approach and involved interviews with a purposively selected sample of faculty members from public universities who had relevant research backgrounds. The interviews were analyzed using Strauss and Corbin's coding methods. To assess the validity of the data, four criteria were used: credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. All ethical considerations were observed, and the authors reported no conflicts of interest.
Results: After conducting the interviews and performing open and axial coding in the qualitative phase, the results revealed 16 selective codes, including causal conditions (individual factors, policy-making, educational content, and welfare facilities and services), contextual conditions (religious, cultural, economic, and political factors), intervening conditions (legal factors), the central category (social health in the higher education system), strategies for developing social health (social skills, social trust, and improving social relationships), and outcomes (social participation, reduction of social harms, increased social interaction, and a vibrant society). These findings reflected the model of social health development in the higher education system and the relationships between its various dimensions.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that the development of social health in the higher education system of the country depends on the realization of the studied factors and components. Therefore, it is recommended that managers and policymakers invest in the field of social health in the higher education system to move towards a vibrant, participatory, and joyful society.
- Health
- Higher education
- Social health
- University
How to Cite
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