Middle East Journal of Rehabilitation and Health Studies
Volume:10 Issue: 2, Apr 2023

The significant and rapid growth of the aging population is one of the most important phenomena of the current century. According to the main component of the World Health Organization, the concern over aging can be operationalized through informal contributions such as social and leisure activities.

The current study mainly aimed to review the factors associated with the participation of community-dwelling older adults in activities related to leisure and social participation.
Data Source:In this study, based on PRISMA guidelines, articles investigating factors associated with the participation of community-dwelling older adults in activities related to leisure and social participation and published from 2005 to 2022 in Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE databases were screened. Inclusion criteria consisted of articles having been published in peer-reviewed journals between 2005 and 2022 and reaching I, II, III, and IV AOTA levels of evidence. To complete the study, a total of 651 articles were retrieved. Finally, 29 articles were reviewed.

Out of 29 articles, three articles were at evidence level I, 12 were at evidence level II, one was at evidence level III, and 13 were at evidence level IV. The social participation of the elderly was discussed in all 29 articles; however, the activities related to leisure of the elderly, in addition to the social participation, was discussed in only 11 articles. Levels of education and disability were the most relevant individual factors affecting the social participation and leisure activities of elders, respectively; the social networks with families, friends, etc., on the other hand, were the most relevant environmental factors influencing both social participation and leisure activities.

Since the levels of education and disability were the most relevant individual factors affecting the participation of the elderly in activities related to social participation and leisure, respectively, and because it was difficult to make interventions in these factors, it was suggested that occupational therapists and other geriatric specialists should make advocacy-based interventions in the social networks which was recognized as the most relevant environmental factors contributing to leisure and the social participation.

Azo dyes, as a major group of the synthetic colorants, are added to food products not only to make them aesthetic but also to preserve their appearance. However, the use of azo dyes in food has been banned worldwide due to side effects on human health. The search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Europe PMC beta, Science Direct, and Springer database considering all articles published up to 9 July 2021. The inclusion criteria were double-blind, randomized, cohort studies, placebo-controlled trials, case reports, non-controlled trials, and case series. Several studies suggest that azo dyes induce oxidative stress, which subsequently increases the concentration of malondialdehyde and reduces superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione (GSH) concentration in brain tissue. Also, results showed the adverse effects of azo dyes on the brain parts such as the prefrontal cortex, cerebellum, and cerebrum which, are accompanied by changes in brain function. It can be concluded that azo dyes with an increase in oxidative stress affect the most important parts of the brain and cause brain dysfunction. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the food additive azo dyes on brain tissues.

The iliotibial band (ITB) is prone to shortening in sports activities. Correcting the lack of flexibility can be a factor in improving the overall biomechanics of the body and preventing future injuries.

A total of 51 semi-elite athletes (age range: 20 - 40 years) with ITB shortness confirmed by the modified Ober’s test participated in this study. The participants were randomly divided into three groups, including foam roller, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) active stretching, and a combination of foam roller and PNF stretching.

The mean of the active hip adduction range of motion (ROM), single-leg hop test, lateral hop test, and vertical jump in all three groups increased significantly after the intervention compared to before (P < 0.05). All three studied groups had similar changes over time, and no group was superior to the others.

Using a foam roller, PNF active stretching technique, and a combination of both can improve hip ROM in patients with ITB shortness. As a result, the functional activities of athletes, including vertical jump, lateral hop, and single-leg hop, can be improved. Flexibility and ROM increased significantly in all three treatment groups. There is no priority between different interventions.

COVID-19 is an international public health emergency in the world.

The aim of the present study is to determine the geographic pattern and temporal trend of Coronavirus disease 2019 incidence, fatality, and recovery rates worldwide.

The present ecological study is a mixed exploratory study. The study population included Patients with COVID-19, recovered individuals, and deaths from COVID-19 from October 1, 2019, until June 30, 2021, worldwide. Descriptive analysis included the calculation cumulative incidence rate (CIR), case fatality rate (CFR), and case recovery rate (CRR) of COVID-19. Global Moran's I and Anselin Local Moran's I tests were used for spatial analysis. The joinpoint regression analysis was used to examine the time trend by ArcGIS, Joinpoint, and SPSS software.

The average cumulative incidence rate was 1077 in 106 individuals; also, the average case recovery rate and average case fatality rate were %72.81 and %3.21, respectively. Global Moran's I index measured for CIR was 0.159. The results of Anselin's local Moran's I, high-high cluster, consists of some countries in South America and in southern and Western Europe and central and western Asia. The temporal trend of changes in the incidence rate and CRR of COVID-19 were incremental, and the average annual percentage change from October 2019 to June 2021 increased by 44.4% and 3.2%, respectively (P < 0.001), but CFR decreased by -0.3% and was not significant (P > 0.05).

As regards the specific spatial pattern of fatality and recovery rate of COVID-19, it seems essential to consider spatial conditions and environmental factors which are related to the incidence and fatality of COVID-19 in different regions, as well as the necessity of upgrading the care system in high-risk areas, in order to have better management and control of the pandemic and optimal function in early diagnosis, proper treatment, and high vaccination coverage.

The concept of emancipation in the sense of empowerment, independence, and freedom came to the literature on disability with the emergence of a social model. Despite the importance of this concept, it is still unclear what effects the realization of the emancipation process has on the lives of people with disabilities and society.

This study aimed to explore the consequences of the emancipation process for people with physical disabilities.

The study was conducted using the grounded theory method in 2021. Participants included 23 people with physical disabilities, a welfare organization manager, a welfare organization employee, a rehabilitation nurse, a physician, and two family members. The research data reached theoretical saturation with 18 individual interviews and two focused groups with 11 people with physical disabilities. 5 people were in the first group, and six were in the second group.

Data were analyzed based on the approach of Corbin and Strauss (2008). Data analysis led to 833 codes, seven sub-themes, and three main themes. The main themes included excellence and growth, functional health, and realization of a disabled-friendly society, and subthemes included self-actualization, self-determination, improving personal performance, economic self-sufficiency, improving social relationships, cultural acceptance of disability, and realization of social participation.

The emancipation process leads to positive outcomes in the lives of individuals with physical disabilities. These consequences appear in individual areas, such as improving performance and self-sufficiency, social participation, and promoting community culture, which can be useful in planning and policy-making focusing on the realization of the emancipation process. A rehabilitation team can assist in achieving emancipation and its consequences.

Lower body positive pressure (LBPP) emerges for rehabilitation practice tool for athletic and orthopedic conditions. However, LBPP may provide an opportunity therapeutic intervention for gait training in neurological conditions.

To assess the effectiveness of LBPP gait training on ambulation ability, gait speed, walking endurance, dynamic and static balance, and quality of life in individuals with chronic stroke.

Participants performed LBPP gait training three days a week for six weeks. The main outcome measures were functional ambulation categories (FAC), 10-meter walk test (10-MWT), 6 minutes walking test (6MWT), timed up and go (TUG), functional reach test (FRT), and short-form (SF-36) health survey.

Nine chronic stroke (one female, eight males) aged 57 ± 15.4 years with stroke since 4.8 ± 3.9 years participated in LBPP gait training. participants showed significant improvement in FAC (pre, 4 ± 2; post, 5 ± 1; P = 0.034); 10-MWT (pre, 16.35 ± 9.34 s; post, 13.25 ± 7.57 s; P = 0.021) and 6 MWT (pre, 166.22 ± 94.15; post, 206.66 ± 103.64; P = 0.048). No significant differences were observed in the other outcomes.

Six weeks of LBPP gait training may potentially improve ambulation ability, gait speed, and walking endurance in individuals with chronic stroke.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive and chronic neurological disease with severe motor and non-motor disabilities that affect patients’ quality of life. Considering the importance of self-management education in chronic disease to improve quality of life, an upward trend of using mobile applications has recently been considered in clinical settings.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of self-management education based on the mobile application on the quality of life of Parkinson’s disease.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted in the neurology clinics of selected educational centers of Iran University of medical sciences with 77 patients, with a convenience sampling method. After obtaining the code of ethics, the clinical trial code and obtaining written informed consent from eligible people, the Demographic checklist, clinical stage criteria, and quality of life questionnaire in Parkinson’s disease (PDQ-39) were sent by online links to eligible patients or caregivers before, one month after, and three months after the start of the intervention (12 weeks intervention). The content of the self-management education extracted from reliable medical, nursing, and rehabilitation references based on the mobile application "Parkin Seven," designed by a software consultant engineer, was provided to the clients at once by installing the mobile application in the research environment, with 15 - 20 minutes of in-person mobile application set up education. Data were analyzed by repeated measures analysis of variance in SPSS20 software.

The quality of life in the first stage was estimated at 48.26 ± 2.37, which was 34.27 ± 2.08 and 24.33 ± 1.76 for the second and third stages, respectively (P < 0.001).

Findings from this study indicate that self-management education based on a mobile application in patients with Parkinson’s disease effectively improves the quality of life. Therefore, utilizing this method by clinical professionals, especially rehabilitation nurses, is recommended to improve clinical efficiency.

Pregnancy is one of the most sensitive stages of a woman's life, and changes at this time can have physical and psychological complications for women.

This study aimed to assess the frequency of pregnancy complaints (PC) and the effective socio-demographic factors among pregnant women referred to Neyshabur health centers.

This cross-sectional study was performed on 417 pregnant women referred to Neyshabur health centers in 2021. Data collection was carried out using demographic characteristics and PC questionnaires. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation), analytical statistics (multiple linear regression). The software used for data analysis was SPSS software version 22. The significance level was considered at 0.05.

The mean age of pregnant women was 28.36 ± 5.96. The mean PC score was 37.76 ± 8.85. Fatigue (73.38%) and hemorrhoids (4.8%) were the most common and least common PC. Multiple linear regression results showed that maternal age (P < 0.05) and sleep quality (P < 0.001) were statistically significant variables related to PC. On this basis, as maternal age increases, the mean score for PC increases by 0.94. In addition, the average score of pregnancy-related complaints for those with a good sleep quality was 6.32 lower than for those with a bad sleep quality.

Maternal age and bad sleep quality factors increase the possibility of a pregnancy-related complaint. So, it is recommended that healthcare providers develop and implement educational interventions to improve sleep quality and pregnancy awareness at older ages.

Autism spectrum is a type of developmental-neurodegenerative disease commonly reflected in social communications and associated with oxidative stress in the brain. Vitamins D and E, as strong antioxidants, may improve autistic-like behavioral disorders.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of vitamins D and E on pain, threshold, motor coordination, and anxiety behavior, as well as oxidative stress parameters in an autistic model in rats.

We induced an experimental model of congenital autism in the rat by injection of valproic acid (500 mg/kg) into pregnant rats on the day 12.5th of gestation. From postnatal day 30 to 60, male offspring received daily injections of vitamins D (5 µg/kg) and/or E (10 mg/kg) or vehicle. Next, their anxiety levels were assessed with the elevated plus maze and open field, pain thresholds with hot plate, motor and balance with rotarod, and spatial learning and memory with T-maze. The rat brain was then removed to measure oxidative markers, including Malondialdehyde, Glutathione, and Catalase.

Results indicated that injection of valproic acid-induced autistic-like behaviors, including increased pain threshold, increased anxiety, decreased exploring behaviors, reduced balance power, and motor learning, and produced oxidative stress. Administration of vitamins D and E significantly ameliorated these symptoms.

These findings may indicate that vitamins D and E improved sensory, motor, anxiety, and cognitive deficits in an experimental model of autism, probably by reducing the oxidative stress and inflammatory process or maintaining balance in the neurotransmitter system.