Religious attitudes and self-control as predictors of self-esteem in Peruvian Christians: a cross-sectional study

Zanga Céspedes J.M.; Javier-Aliaga D.; Saintila J. · BMC Psychology (2025) · DOI: 10.1186/s40359-025-03548-5

Resumen

Background: Self-esteem, a key indicator of psychological well-being, is shaped by both individual and contextual factors, including self-control and attitudes toward religion. However, its specific interplay within religious cultural contexts, such as that of Peru, remains underexplored. Objective: To determine the predictive role of self-control and attitudes toward religion on self-esteem in a sample of Peruvian Seventh-day Adventist Christians, and to examine potential mean differences across sociodemographic variables including sex, age, marital status, and educational level. Method: This was a cross-sectional study with a sample of 297 members of the SDA, selected through non-probabilistic purposive sampling. The instruments used included the Attitudes Toward Religion Scale, the Brief Self-Control Scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Data were collected through online questionnaires administered via Google Forms, and the analysis was conducted using multiple statistical models. Results: The results indicated significant differences in attitudes toward religion, self-control, and self-esteem based on marital status and age (p <.05). In addition, positive and significant correlations were observed between attitude toward religion and self-esteem (p <.001, CI [0.258, 0.456]), as well as between self-control and self-esteem (p <.001, CI [0.346, 0.530]). Finally, self-control (β = 0.360, p <.001, CI [0.254, 0.467]) and attitude toward religion (β = 0.236, p <.001, CI [0.130, 0.342]) were significant predictors of self-esteem, accounting for 23.9% of its variance. Conclusion: These results have important implications for promoting psychological well-being in religious contexts and highlight the need to develop intervention strategies that enhance self-control and recognize religious practices as valuable resources for improving self-esteem. © The Author(s) 2025.

Instituciones: Universidad Peruana Unión; Universidad Señor de Sipán