Longevity

Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between emotional maturity and emotional divorce in married women in Tabriz. This study was descriptive-correlational and was conducted with an applied purpose. The statistical population included married women in Tabriz, and the sample size was reported as 100 people based on the thesis information. Data were collected using the Singh and Bhargava Emotional Maturity Questionnaire and the Gottman Emotional Divorce Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data. Descriptive findings showed that the total mean of emotional divorce was 3.0257 with a standard deviation of 0.44214, which indicates a relatively moderate level of emotional divorce experience in the research sample. In the inferential section, the overall correlation coefficient of the model was 0.288 and the determination coefficient was 0.083, which indicates that about 3.8 percent of the changes in emotional divorce are explained by the variables entered into the model. The regression analysis of variance test was also significant (F=4/396, p=0/015). However, emotional maturity alone was not a significant predictor of emotional divorce (β=0/107, t=1/104, p=0/272). Based on the findings, it can be concluded that emotional divorce is a multifactorial phenomenon and emotional maturity alone is not sufficient to explain it.

The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention based on conscious family games on increasing family vitality and flexibility. The research method was a quasi-experimental, pre-test, post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of this study included all families covered by welfare referring to family counseling centers in Tehran. The sampling method was simple random. 40 people were selected from the statistical population and randomly assigned to two control and experimental groups. The experimental group participated in 10 90-minute sessions of an intervention based on conscious family games. The control group did not receive training. The subjects answered the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire and the Shakeri Family Flexibility Scale (2003) before and after the intervention. The data were analyzed using the covariance method. The results showed that an intervention based on conscious family games can increase family vitality and flexibility. According to the findings, it can be concluded that conscious family games, as a low-cost, attractive, and practical solution, have high potential for intervention at preventive and therapeutic levels in vulnerable families.

Parenting is one of the most important factors affecting parents’ mental health and the quality of parent–child interactions, and parental stress can also influence parental functioning and the child’s psychological development. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between parenting styles and parental stress among young mothers. This study was descriptive–correlational in design. The statistical population included young mothers under the age of 30 with children under 6 years old in the city of Neyshabur, among whom 200 participants were selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected using Abidin’s Parenting Stress Index (PSI) and Baumrind’s Parenting Styles Questionnaire. The validity and reliability of both instruments have been confirmed in previous studies. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, and inferential statistics, including Pearson correlation and simultaneous multiple regression, in SPSS software. The results showed that the regression model was statistically significant (F = 31.16, P < 0.001), and parenting styles jointly explained approximately 32% of the variance in parental stress (R² = 0.32, Adjusted R² = 0.31). Among the dimensions of parenting, only the authoritarian parenting style was a significant predictor of parental stress (β = 0.51, t = 7.68, P < 0.001), whereas authoritative parenting (β = -0.12, P = 0.074) and permissive parenting (β = 0.01, P = 0.847) did not show significant relationships with parental stress. The findings indicate that increased controlling and strict parental behaviors are associated with higher parental stress, while other parenting styles did not play a significant role in predicting this variable. Overall, the results of this study emphasize the importance of considering parenting styles, particularly the authoritarian style, in designing educational programs and psychological interventions aimed at reducing parental stress among young mothers. It is also suggested that future studies examine the mediating roles of factors such as social support, emotion regulation, and socioeconomic status in explaining parental stress.

The aim of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy on nonjudgmental acceptance, sociability, and personal sense of security in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder. This study was conducted using a quasi-experimental method with a pretest–posttest design and a control group. From among individuals with generalized anxiety disorder who referred to a psychological and counseling services center in Tehran, 30 participants were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups, with 15 participants in each group. After sample attrition, data from 24 participants, 12 in each group, were analyzed. The experimental group received mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy in eight 90-minute sessions, accompanied by daily home practice, whereas the control group received no active intervention. The data were analyzed using multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance. The results of multivariate analysis of covariance showed a significant difference between the two groups in the combined dependent variables (F(3,17)=15.232, P=0.001, partial η²=0.877). In addition, the univariate analyses showed that mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy led to significant improvements in nonjudgmental acceptance (F=15.982, P=0.001, partial η²=0.776), sociability (F=10.414, P=0.002, partial η²=0.395), and personal sense of security (F=13.795, P=0.001, partial η²=0.633) compared with the control group. The findings indicate that mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy may be associated with increased nonjudgmental acceptance, improved sociability in the sense of a tendency toward social interactions, and enhanced personal sense of security in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder. However, given the limited sample size, the absence of an active control group, the lack of a follow-up period, and certain methodological limitations, the results should be interpreted with caution. Randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are needed to confirm these findings.

The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of two play-based approaches, cooperative and competitive games, on self-efficacy and motor proficiency in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). The research method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test and post-test design including a control group. The statistical population consisted of female students aged 9 to 12 years with DCD in Khoy city during the 2021-2022 academic year. From this population, 36 participants were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to three groups (12 in the cooperative games group, 12 in the competitive games group, and 12 in the control group). The experimental groups received 24 sessions of 45-minute interventions (three sessions per week) of cooperative and competitive games protocols, respectively, while the control group received no intervention other than the regular school physical education program. Research instruments included the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition (MABC-2), the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-Short Form (BOT-2), and the Wheeler and Ladd Children's Self-Efficacy Scale (CSPI). Data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The results showed that both cooperative and competitive play approaches significantly improved self-efficacy and motor proficiency in children with DCD. Furthermore, the results of ANCOVA revealed a significant difference between the effectiveness of the two approaches, with cooperative games having a greater impact on improving self-efficacy and motor proficiency compared to competitive games. Overall, the findings indicate that cooperative games can be used as an effective motor intervention to enhance self-efficacy and motor proficiency in children with DCD. These results highlight the importance of collaborative and cooperative play-based interventions in improving the psychological and motor health of this group of children.

This quasi-experimental study examined the effect of rhythmic body percussion exercises on enjoyment of physical activity and executive function in girls aged 10-12 years with educable intellectual disability. The study used a pretest-posttest control-group design. Twenty-six eligible students from exceptional elementary schools in Dezful, Iran, during the 2023-2024 academic year were selected purposefully and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 13) and a control group (n = 13). Enjoyment of physical activity was assessed using the Moore et al. questionnaire, and executive function was assessed using the Tower of London test. The experimental group completed an 18-session body percussion program over six weeks, with three 45-minute sessions per week, whereas the control group continued its usual daily routine. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance at the 0.05 significance level. After adjustment for pretest scores, significant between-group differences were observed in posttest enjoyment of physical activity and executive function (p < 0.001). Because baseline differences between groups were considerable and adjusted means were not available in the initial statistical output, the findings should be interpreted as preliminary evidence rather than as definitive proof of effectiveness. Body percussion exercises may be a low-cost, group-based, and feasible activity for special schools and rehabilitation settings; however, larger studies with active control groups and follow-up assessments are required.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of dynamic neuromuscular stabilization exercises with a telerehabilitation approach on weight changes and flexibility in obese elderly women. This research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population consisted of overweight and obese elderly women living in Mashhad, aged 60 to 75 years. The research sample included 30 individuals with a body mass index greater than 25 kg/m², selected through convenience sampling and, after screening, randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=15) and a control group (n=15). The experimental group received an eight-week dynamic neuromuscular stabilization exercise protocol (three sessions per week) with initial in-person instruction followed by telerehabilitation follow-up. Weight, body mass index, and upper and lower body flexibility were measured at both pretest and posttest stages. Analysis of covariance, controlling for pretest scores, was used to analyze the data, with a significance level set at 0.05. The results of the ANCOVA showed significant differences between the experimental and control groups for weight and body mass index (P=0.001). Additionally, significant differences were observed between the two groups for upper body flexibility of the right and left limbs (P=0.001) and lower body flexibility of the right and left limbs (P=0.001). Six weeks of dynamic neuromuscular stabilization exercises with a telerehabilitation approach may lead to reduced weight and body mass index, as well as improved upper and lower body flexibility, in overweight and obese elderly women. Given the limited sample size, lack of long-term follow-up, and incomplete control over dietary intake and activities outside the program, clinical generalization of the results should be made with caution.

Mitochondrial dysfunction in type 2 diabetes is one of the major mechanisms underlying the reduced metabolic capacity of skeletal muscle. The present study was conducted to compare the effects of continuous and interval aerobic training on the mitochondrial biogenesis axis, including PGC-1α and TFAM, and on the mitochondrial fusion–fission balance, including MFN1 and DRP1, in the gastrocnemius muscle of diabetic rats. In this experimental study, male Wistar rats were assigned, following environmental acclimatization, to six groups: healthy control, healthy + continuous training, healthy + interval training, diabetic control, diabetic + continuous training, and diabetic + interval training (n = 8 per group). Diabetes was induced through a high-fat diet and intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. The exercise protocols were performed for eight weeks, five sessions per week. At the end of the intervention, the gastrocnemius muscle was harvested, and the relative expression levels of PGC-1α, TFAM, MFN1, and DRP1 genes were assessed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and analyzed using the 2^−ΔΔCt method. Type 2 diabetes was associated with decreased expression of PGC-1α, TFAM, and MFN1 and increased expression of DRP1. Both exercise interventions improved mitochondrial indices. Interval training produced a more pronounced increase in PGC-1α and TFAM expression, whereas continuous training demonstrated a more distinct effect on modulating the MFN1 and DRP1 expression profile. The findings suggest that the structure of exercise intensity may activate different pathways of mitochondrial adaptation in diabetic skeletal muscle. Nevertheless, due to the animal-based nature of the study and the absence of certain technical qRT-PCR details in the initial version, the practical interpretation of the findings should be approached with caution and following completion of the methodological reporting.