Prevalence of and demographic factors associated with domestic violence among Iranian older adults: the results of Urban HEART-2

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of and demographic factors associated with domestic violence among Iranian older adults based on the Urban HEART-2 project in Tehran, Iran. The study was a part of the second round of the Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool (Urban HEART-2) project, which was a large, populationbased, cross-sectional study. Individuals aged ≥ 60 years were selected randomly through a multistage, cluster sampling method from 368 neighborhoods of 22 districts of Tehran. A total of 15,069 older adults, 79% married and 45.22% female, were included in the study. The mean age of the par ticipants was 68.93 ± 7.27 years. The overall prevalence of physical domestic violence was 2.32%. Factors such as age, gender, schooling, and having a disability were significantly associated with domestic violence (p < .05). These results are likely to be an underestimate of what really happens in the community, as many authors have mentioned previously. Therefore, it is necessary to broaden our perspectives on the phenomenon of domestic violence against the elderly, especially in the fields of public health and nursing.This study aimed to determine the prevalence of and demographic factors associated with domestic violence among Iranian older adults based on the Urban HEART-2 project in Tehran, Iran. The study was a part of the second round of the Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool (Urban HEART-2) project, which was a large, populationbased, cross-sectional study. Individuals aged ≥ 60 years were selected randomly through a multistage, cluster sampling method from 368 neighborhoods of 22 districts of Tehran. A total of 15,069 older adults, 79% married and 45.22% female, were included in the study. The mean age of the par ticipants was 68.93 ± 7.27 years. The overall prevalence of physical domestic violence was 2.32%. Factors such as age, gender, schooling, and having a disability were significantly associated with domestic violence (p < .05). These results are likely to be an underestimate of what really happens in the community, as many authors have mentioned previously. Therefore, it is necessary to broaden our perspectives on the phenomenon of domestic violence against the elderly, especially in the fields of public health and nursing

Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly-Short Form (IQCODE-S)

Background: Dementia and cognitive decline mainly affect older people. Several instruments have been developed for screening and detection of cognitive impairments, among them is the short form of the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE-S).; however, there was no instrument to assess it in Persian language speakers. The purpose of the present study was to validate the Persian version of the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly-Short Form (IQCODE-S).  Methods: In this study, WHO's standard 'forward-backward' translation procedure was performed.  The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were evaluated and it was administered in a sample of 373 inpatient Iranian elderlies. The convenient sampling was performed to include participants from family members caregiving older patients with long diagnosed of dementia. Face and content validity were evaluated and the reliability of the instrument was evaluated.  Results: The mean age of the participants was 71.08 ± 9.89 years. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was .82. Significant correlations were observed between cognitive status and age, marital status, education and hospitalized wards (p < .05). Appropriate CVI and were calculated as .85 and.7 respectively. Conclusion: This study reports on translation and validation of the Persian version of one of the most important screening tools for dementia. It reveals a significant association between the elderlies’ cognitive decline and their age, marital status, education, and hospitalized ward.  Key words: Psychometrics, Ageing, Cognitive Decline, Informant &nbsp

First days in intensive care units: A tragedy for families

The first days of patients’ hospitalization in intensivecare units are very important for theirfamily members. Therefore, it is necessary to explorethe families’ perceived experiences in order to adoptappropriate nursing care. This qualitative study aimedto explore the perceptions of families in the first days ofhospitalization of their loved ones in intensive care units.This is a conventional qualitative content analysis study.Unstructured interviews were conducted on 26 familymembers of patients hospitalized in the first five days ofhospitalization in intensive care units in two private andtwo public hospitals in the Karaj, Iran. The data analysisled to the formation of three categories: “Overwhelmingturmoil”, “Scary events” and “Acute psychosomatic tensions”.The results indicated that the first days of hospitalizationof patients in the intensive care units encompass apainful tragedy. Findings can be applied as a guide for thenursing assessment of families to help them for a healthytransition of this stressful situation

Pain characteristics of older residents in Iranian nursing homes Caractéristiques des douleurs ressenties par les résidents âgés dans les maisons de retraite iraniennes

Background: Pain is a common complaint among the aging population, particularly among the older residents of nursing homes. Aims: The main aim of the study was to examine the pain characteristics among older residents of nursing homes in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 394 older adults admitted to Tehran nursing homes. To gather the required data, Brief Pain Inventory and Abbreviated Mental Test score were used. Results: 51 of the female and 26 of the male participants suffered from pain. Lower extremity and lower part of back were the most frequently affected. Pain interfered with general activity (P < 0.001), mood (P = 0.016), walking (P < 0.001), normal work (P < 0.001), relations with others (P = 0.043), sleeping (P = 0.002) and enjoyment of life (P = 0.019) of the older residents and these effects were more prominent in female sex. Factors such as age, gender and schooling were of significant relationships with pain (P < 0.001) and its intensity (P <0.001). Conclusions: Chronic pain is common among older residents of nursing homes and deteriorates their quality of life. This study reconfirms the previously mentioned importance of using effective pain evaluation and pain management strategies in nursing homes. © World Health Organization (WHO) 2019. Some rights reserved

Psychological impacts of COVID-19 on the general population of Iran

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the main focus of studies was on physical impact of the disease, while psychological impacts were mainly neglected. Identifying the psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the general population can help in planning and preparing for future pandemics. The current study aims to investigate the psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the general population of Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional survey study that was conducted online on 1735 Iranian people from April 21 to June 21, 2021. Perceived feelings during the COVID-19 pandemic were measured by Reynolds’s self-report tool. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) and inferential statistics including chi-square test and independent t-test in SPSS software, version 22. The significance level was set at 0.05. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 34.62±11.86 years. The most frequent perceived feelings were boredom (n=764, 44.0%), nostalgia (n=704, 40.6%), worry (n=613, 35.3%), and nervousness (n=591, 34.1%). Females, younger people, unemployed people, unmarried people, and those living in the urban areas experienced significantly higher levels of negative feelings. Conclusion: The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Iranian people is high, particularly among female, unmarried, and unemployed people. Therefore, supportive and psychological interventions during the pandemic and psychological rehabilitations after the pandemic are needed

The impact of computer-based cognitive training intervention on the quality of life among elderly people: a randomized clinical trial

Background: Through the process of normal aging, cognitive decline would cause a lower level of functioning in real life. This flow might interfere with health-related quality of life (QoL). The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of computer-based cognitive intervention on increasing QoL of elderly people. Methods: A total number of 52 community-dwelling older adults participated in this study. This community scored � 21 in the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and a clock drawing test score � 4 from health centers in Tehran, Iran. This study is a parallel group stratified randomized clinical trial. The intervention group received a 45-min cognitive training session twice a week for 10 sessions, using Attentive Rehabilitation of Attention and Memory (ARAM) software focusing on selective attention and working memory. QoL was evaluated as a primary outcome. The control group participated in educational workshops. Results: From fifty-two persons, only one participant was excluded from the study in the intervention group during follow-up. Results revealed by increasing cognitive function, improvement occurred in QoL (F = 13.417, p value < 0.001, partial eta-squared = 0.324) as a primary outcome in the intervention group. Among eight domains of QoL, there was significant increasing in domain of role limitations due to emotional problems (F = 4.007, p value = 0.021, partial eta-squared = 0.059), social functioning (F = 2.423, p value = 0.044, partial eta-squared = 0.004), and role limitations due to physical health (F = 10.749, p value < 0.001, partial eta-squared = 0.026). Conclusions: Based on the results, ARAM showed transition and long-term effects on QoL in elderly people by improving cognitive functions such as selective attention and working memory. Trial registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials IRCT2016122731602N1. Registered on June 21, 2017 © 2021, The Author(s)

How do Iranian older adults define place attachment? a qualitative study

Background: Place attachment is the emotional bond between individuals and environment, which seems to increase wellbeing in old age. The purpose of this study was to explore the concept of place attachment from older adults’ perspective. Methods: In this qualitative study, a total of 14 older adults were purposively included in Aran and Bidgool city, Isfahan, Iran. The data were collected using a semi-structured interview and analyzed applying a directed content analysis approach. Results: As participants reported, place attachment meant intensive love, pride, dependency, and familiarity with the environment. Socio-economic attachment was identified as the most prevalent dimension of place attachment, followed by affective, physical, autobiographical, and religious-cultural attachment. Conclusion: Our findings provided a new understanding of place attachment in the context of Iran. The concept of place attachment was identified with a multidimensional nature from Iranian older adults’ perspective. Such a multidimensionality of place attachment should be considered while planning for age-friendly cities or the operationalization of the subject of aging in place, particularly in the developing societies, like Iran

Basin-scale gyres and mesoscale eddies in large lakes: a novel procedure for their detection and characterization, assessed in Lake Geneva

In large lakes subject to the Coriolis force, basin-scale gyres and mesoscale eddies, i.e. rotating coherent water masses, play a key role in spreading biochemical materials and energy throughout the lake. In order to assess the spatial and temporal extent of gyres and eddies, their dynamics and vertical structure, as well as to validate their prediction in numerical simulation results, detailed transect field observations are needed. However, at present it is difficult to forecast when and where such transect field observations should be taken. To overcome this problem, a novel procedure combining 3D numerical simulations, statistical analyses, and remote sensing data was developed that permits determination of the spatial and temporal patterns of basin-scale gyres during different seasons. The proposed gyre identification procedure consists of four steps: (i) data pre-processing, (ii) extracting dominant patterns using empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis of Okubo–Weiss parameter fields, (iii) defining the 3D structure of the gyre, and (iv) finding the correlation between the dominant gyre pattern and environmental forcing. The efficiency and robustness of the proposed procedure was validated in Lake Geneva. For the first time in a lake, detailed field evidence of the existence of basin-scale gyres and (sub)mesoscale eddies was provided by data collected along transects whose locations were predetermined by the proposed procedure. The close correspondence between field observations and detailed numerical results further confirmed the validity of the model for capturing large-scale current circulations as well as (sub)mesoscale eddies. The results also indicated that the horizontal gyre motion is mainly determined by wind stress, whereas the vertical current structure, which is influenced by the gyre flow field, primarily depends on thermocline depth and strength. The procedure can be applied to other large lakes and can be extended to the interaction of biological–chemical–physical processes.</p

Protective psychosocial factors of geriatric depression in community dwelling older adults: A review article

Context: Depression is a major health problem in geriatric population and has many adverse consequences. The aim of this study was to review the existing literature on psychosocial factors that protect against depression in later life. Evidence Acquisition: A MEDLINE systematic search was done via Pubmed and Sciencedirect web pages to gather the published articles on psychosocial factors of late life depression First, the titles and abstracts reviewed and relevant articles were selected according to the inclusion criteria. Then full texts of the selected articles obtained, read, and data were extracted and categorized. Results: There were 204 articles on psychosocial factors of late life depression in community dwelling older adults and among them 29 articles included protective factors. Reading them carefully, protective factors were extracted and organized into 5 main categories: Demographic factors, psychological factors, social factors, health related factors and also spiritual factors. Conclusion: Psychosocial factors protecting older adults against depression are diverse. Identification of the modifiable ones and provision of appropriate interventions to enhance them, can be helpful in preventing geriatric depression. ©2018, Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences