Older adults

 Satisfactory communication is one of the important factors associated with successful aging. This study identifies the dimensions of satisfactory communication from the viewpoint of Iranian older adults in 2023.

 This qualitative study was performed on 15 older adults who were selected by a purposeful sampling method from Bojnurd City, Iran. The data were obtained using semi-structured interviews and were analyzed using the conventional content analysis approach. The MAXQDA software, version 2020 was used for data management.

 The average age of the participants was 68.64±7.61 years. Four main and nine sub-main categories were developed, including satisfactory communication with family (leadership, supportive-caring, and daily communication), self-communication (optimistic and coping communication), communication with God (demanding and confabulating communication), and peer communication (feeling and memory sharing). The most frequent category was satisfactory communication with family.

 It is necessary to inform the society, the older adults’ families, and their caregivers about satisfactory communication among them, especially supportive-care communication. Also, considering the importance of self-communication and communication with God in satisfactory communication dimensions, it is necessary to pay attention to their need for solitude and participation in religious ceremonies. There is also a need to provide conditions for more communication between the older adults and their families and peers in the community.

 With the progress in the last century and the increased population of older adults, their social importance in society has become more prominent, and with the beginning of old age and retirement, most retired older adults face changes in different aspects of their lives. Given the favorable impact of learning on people's well-being, the role of universities in the general health of third-generation learners (adults between the ages of 50 and 75 years who do not have regular job or family responsibilities) and their lack of expansion in our country, this study determines facilitators and barriers in the tendency of older adults to third generation universities.

 This qualitative study was conducted using content analysis with 19 members of the Shahrekord Retirees’ Center, who had retired at least one year ago and were selected using purposive sampling with maximum variation (in terms of demographic characteristics) as well as in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The interviews were transcribed word by word and continued until data saturation was achieved. The content analysis of the interviews was done by determining the conceptual units, accurate coding, and continuous comparison, and gradually, subthemes and themes were created.

 From all the interviews, 364 initial codes were drawn, and the codes obtained from data analysis were assigned to two themes, obstacles to the tendency of older adults to university, including 7 subthemes (changing the learning process with increasing age, distance, and transportation, lack of social trust, socio-economic problems, not having enough opportunities, the presence of disabilities in old age, concern for young people) and facilitating factors for the tendency of older adults to university, including 7 subthemes (existence of well-being and comfort in life, lack of responsibilities and costs, existence of support and special privileges, increasing the level of awareness and culture, localization University and programs, the participation of capable retirees in programs, the importance of different views or interests of people).

 Considering the change in the learning process of older people, the lack of social trust in society, economic-social problems, the concern of distance and transportation, and the existence of disabilities in old age, a working group of specialists and pundits is necessary to provide the required infrastructure. The need to formulate, revise, and monitor the implementation of the laws of third generation universities is formed to take appropriate planning and organization to remove obstacles and create third generation universities based on the cultural and social characteristics of Iranian society, which is an important step toward promoting and improving the quality of life of the older adults.

With the increase in human lifespan, frailty has become an increasingly important issue that threatens older adults’ health. In Iran, limited studies have addressed the prevalence of frailty in community-dwelling older adults. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of frailty and its related factors in community-dwelling older adults in Tehran.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 383 people aged 60 years and older under the supervision of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran City, Iran, in 2022. We used randomized multi-stage cluster sampling. Data collection was done using the Tilburg frailty indicator (TFI). The researcher asked older adults and completed the questionnaires based on their answers. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test, independent t-test, Fisher exact test, and logistic regression in SPSS software, version 23. The significance level was set at P<0.05. 

Women constituted 48.80% and men 51.20% of the samples with an average age of 68.20±6.30 years. Among the participants, 72.30% were married. Prevalence of frailty was 40.50%. Frailty was associated with age, being unmarried, lower education level, lower income, unhealthy lifestyle, suffering from several diseases, dissatisfaction with living environment conditions, and some stressful events (P<0.001).

This research showed a high prevalence of frailty among community-dwelling older adults living in Tehran. Applying screening programs for frailty in primary care units and early interventions can prevent adverse outcomes.

The world population is rapidly aging and according to the World Health Organization report, the number of people aged 60 and over will reach two billion in 2050. Because of this, an important issue is emerging. It defines a new generation of healthcare platforms with the ability to monitor people's quality of life. In recent years, an increasing interest in product-service systems has been recorded in many industries. Various companies have recently introduced new services related to their products to meet customers' new and higher expectations. This interest increased with the introduction of new technologies and developments brought about by the Fourth Industrial Age. In this research, after presenting an introduction about the health-oriented smart product-service system, its importance has been examined for the components and indicators of the health-oriented smart product-service system for older adults.

In this qualitative study, by analyzing and reviewing the content of the studies conducted regarding the health-oriented smart product-service system and by obtaining the opinion of a focus group including 10 managers and experts in this field, the conceptual model of the smart product-service system The health of older adults was presented.

According to the review of the literature on the subject and the study of past research, the components and indicators of the smart health-oriented product-service system in a comprehensive manner (taking into account all the models and opinions raised in this field) present and the components of the system consisting of 10 main components; Actors and integration network, cost of system implementation and management, cloud platform and platform, physical platform, connectivity, personalization and customization, experience management and user interface (UI, UX), user feedback systems, drug management and clinical review. It is an educational guide and rules, and each component's indicators and system parameters are also mentioned.

The most important achievement of this research is a general initial model for this, which can be used as a basic architecture and structure by public and private organizations in the field of health, and especially technology-oriented startup companies to design a health-oriented intelligent product-service system. Also, the design of smart health-oriented product-service systems based on the cognitive factors of older adults and insurance systems based on the components and indicators proposed are topics for future research.

 Gait initiation is the transition from quiet standing posture to steady-state walking, and variations in this phase increase the risk of falling. Fear of falling in older adults is one of the most important factors that threaten their well-being which can affect gait initiation by causing changes in its kinetics and kinematics. The present study aims to investigate the effects of cognitive training on some kinematic variables of gait initiation in older adults with the fear of falling.

 In this study, 13 older adults with the fear of falling voluntarily participated. They participated in cognitive training (Performing auditory, visual, and spatial memory tasks) for 8 weeks, two sessions per week, each for one hour, using the working memory training software of Sina Behavioral-Cognitive Sciences Institute (Iran). A motion analysis system was used to record kinematic data, and each person performed the gait initiation task before and after cognitive training. We used MATLAB for kinematic data extraction, and SPSS software, version 26 software for statistical analyses. Mean and standard deviation were used to describe the data. To compare the scores of the two phases, the paired t-test was used.

 After eight weeks of cognitive training, a significant difference was observed in the variables of gait initiation speed (t=3.455, P<0.001), step length (t=3.450, P=0.005), and step width (t=-5.987, P=0.005).

 Cognitive training can increase the step length and gait initiation speed and reduce the step width in older adults with the fear of falling, which can lead to improved gait initiation.

Older adults are susceptible to infectious diseases for various reasons. Additionally, these infections mainly account for their hospitalization and visits to doctors. Parallel to this, the progressive process of antimicrobial resistance has reduced the effectiveness of antibiotics in aged individuals. One promising novel method to overcome these complications is the application of phage therapy to treat these instances of infection. In fact, phages are viruses which exclusively destroy target bacteria. The present research aims to apply a foresight method to study phage therapy in older adults.

Using Horton’s foresight method, this study was conducted in 2024 in three stages: 1. Input or data collection, 2. Translation and interpretation of the initial stage results to attain a conceptualization of the future, 3. Assimilation and assessment of the concept obtained for practical application.

Infections constitute one of the main causes of mortality among older adults. Moreover, antimicrobial resistance against common bacteria in the elderly population, particularly in hospital acquired infections, is reported to be high. In general, laboratory evidence indicates the potential effectiveness of phage therapy against invasive bacteria such as Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli, which are resistant to antibiotics.

Notwithstanding the fact that due to scarcity of human studies, the application of phage therapy is limited, it could be introduced as a replacement method or together with antibiotics to curtail and treat resistant infections in older adults. It is necessary to conduct clinical trials on older adults alongside the study of phage therapy in low-risk groups. Providing the required facilities and promoting the design and development of bacteriophages in Iran through science-based and private corporations appears advisable.

Lifestyle is an individual issue and is influenced by social processes. The present study aimed to compare how some social factors affect the health of the elderly and predict their lifestyle in Iran and Iraq.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 800 elderly individuals aged 60 years and older referred to health centers in Iraq and Iran in 2022. Participants were randomly selected using a cluster sampling method. Data was collected using the demographic profile form, the healthy lifestyle questionnaire, and the questionnaire for social factors affecting health. Descriptive and analytical statistical tests (T-test, ANOVA, and Regression) were employed for data analysis.

The findings showed that Iraqi elderly individuals generally exhibited higher levels of active social participation, life satisfaction, access to health centers, and environmental adaptation. However, in other variables such as hope for the future, telephone communication and face-to-face meetings with people around them, or the number of medical visits, Iranian elderly participants were in better condition. Regression analysis revealed that the active social participation variable had the most significant impact on lifestyle changes for elderly individuals in both countries.

To enhance the quality of life for elderly individuals in Iran and Iraq, decisions and policies should prioritize active social participation, increased life satisfaction, and effective adaptation to environmental factors.

One of the critical periods of life is aging, during which people face various physical and mental problems that affect their quality of life. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between meaning in life and quality of life through the mediating role of death anxiety. This was a descriptive correlational study using structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population of the present study included employees and retirees aged 60 to 65 years of various offices and organizations of Tehran, Iran in 2023-2024, among whom 354 people were selected as the sample. Participants answered the Templer’s death anxiety, WHO quality of life, and Steger et al.’s meaning in life questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed by SEM using SPSS-24 and AMOS-24 software. The results showed that there is a significant negative relationship between meaning in life and quality of life with death anxiety, and a significant positive relationship between meaning in life and quality of life. In addition, the mediating role of death anxiety in the relationship between meaning in life and quality of life was confirmed (P=.001). In general, given that death anxiety affects the quality of life of older adults, addressing the issue of meaning in life in the field of counseling for older adults can help improve their quality of life.

Anxiety and aggression are common problems in old age, which is often accompanied by feelings of inadequacy and physical decline. Older adults are more prone to anxiety and aggression due to decreased self-confidence, reduced activity and mobility, loss of loved ones, chronic diseases, and similar factors. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effectiveness of structured reminiscence on anxiety and aggression in older people living in nursing homes. The research design was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population included all older adults living in nursing homes in Mashhad in 2024, among which one nursing home was randomly selected. The statistical sample included 30 older adults selected using convenience sampling and based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (15 people) and a control group (15 people). The experimental group underwent the structured reminiscence protocol in eight weekly 90-minute sessions. The data collection tools included Eysenck and Wilson’s aggression questionnaire and Beck’s anxiety inventory. Data were analyzed through univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS-26 software. The findings of the study showed that structured reminiscence was effective in reducing anxiety and aggression in older adults. Therefore, it can be concluded that structured reminiscence has a positive effect on improving the psychological well-being of older adults. Therefore, the social workers, counselors, psychologists, and health care providers working in the field of aging are recommended to take advantage of structured reminiscence in their treatment programs and intervention measures.