Background: Establishing cost-effective informal care services for lonely older adults living at home in developing countries can be an innovative approach for improving their well-being. This study investigated the effectiveness of an informal home care support intervention program (HoSIP) reducing the loneliness and improving quality of life of lonely community-dwelling older adults.Methods: This quasi-experimental pre-post study employed a non-randomized control group design with a 12-week intervention period and three follow-up points at the end of the HoSIP. Questionnaires were used to measure feelings of loneliness (20-item UCLA Loneliness Scale), quality of life (Control, Autonomy, Self‐Realization and Pleasure Scale), general health (12-item General Health Questionnaire), social network (six-item Lubben Social Network Scale), social support (12-item Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), and self-care ability (17-item Self-care Ability Scale for the Elderly). Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to gauge the effect of the intervention program over time and in comparison to the control group. Data analyses were performed using the IBM SPSS Statistics software (IBM Corp.).Results: We found a significant relationship between the outcome variables, including feelings of loneliness (P<0.001) and quality of life (P<0.001), at different stages of measurement. Despite the positive feasibility results, the implementation of the HoSIP faced challenges due to a lack of facilities (e.g., place restriction for holding educational classes, educational facilities like computers, video projector, and whiteboard at daycare center) and the absence of supporting organizations.Conclusion: Utilizing the existing capabilities of older adults to provide online and face-to-face care services can be a cost-effective way to improve their quality of life and reduce loneliness. The process of facilitating such informal care services for lonely older adults should be managed by either governmental or non-governmental organizations to reduce the rate of social isolation among this vulnerable population.

Limited research has investigated the impact of immigrants’ sense of place (SOP) attitudes on their quality of life (QOL) outcomes, especially during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study aimed to fill this gap by examining the effect of SOP attitudes and health-related QOL (HQOL) on 120 Iranian citizens residing in Budapest, Hungary, during the pandemic. Using social media platforms, an online survey was conducted between March and July 2020. The findings of this study revealed that SOP elements, such as connection to sites, location identification, and location reliance, are susceptible to change and rely on QOL during the pandemic. The study also highlighted that Budapest has the potential to become a desirable destination for future immigrants. Overall, this study contributes to the literature on the relationship between SOP attitudes and QOL outcomes among immigrants during a crisis. It provides valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners to improve the SOP and QOL of immigrants living in cities affected by pandemics or other crises. This study provides insights into the influence of a sense of place on the quality of life of Iranian immigrants by presenting a model and highlighting significant results in a selected community.

Significant evidence suggests that regular physical activity (PA) is correlated with numerous psychological benefits in adults such as improving body image and quality of life. However, this issue has not been differentiated between young and older adults. In addition, most previous studies used a self-reported questionnaire for measuring PA, the objectivity of which is limited in several ways. Hence, by using accelerometer technology for monitoring PA, this study was designed to examine the correlations of PA with body image and quality of life in young and older adults. In this cross-sectional study, we used objective actigraphy and survey data from 147 young and older adults, including 77 young and 70 older adults from Tehran, Iran. To examine our variables and hypothesis, the following instruments were implemented: the Persian version of the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ), the Persian version of the Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF), and the ActiGraph wGT3X-BT for measuring PA. An independent t-test and a multivariate regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The weekly PA of both young and older adults was found to be lower than the recommended amount. Young adults engaged in significantly more weekly PA than older adults. For young adults, PA (including MPA, VPA, and MVPA) was generally found to be significantly correlated with body image and quality of life. For older adults, however, we found only significant correlations between VPA and quality of life. These findings indicated that PA is a critical concern in adults, particularly older adults. Accordingly, it is necessary to adopt appropriate strategies to promote an active lifestyle among adults.

Background: This research aims to evaluate the impact of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on the occupational stress and the anxiety of nurses. Methods: This was an experimental study with pre-test post-test design with a control group. We included all nurses caring for patients with COVID-19 in governmental hospitals in Tehran during six months of 2020. Beck’s Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Steinmetz Occupational Stress Questionnaire were used for data collection. Results: Box’s test (P=0.225) showed that the covariance-variance matrices were homogeneous. Levine’s test also indicated that the assumption of variance equality was observed. The amounts of ETA square root showed that 66.3% of the anxiety variance and 51.3% of the occupational stress variance could be predicted in the posttest through ACT. Conclusion: The rate of occupational stress and anxiety of the test group significantly decreased compared with the control group after the intervention. Therefore, ACT could decrease the occupational stress and anxiety of nurses and the therapists could use this approach for improving the mental health of nurses.

Research objectives: Adolescence is one of the most difficult developmental periods. Studies have documented ill-being among adolescents (Chen & Lucock, 2022; Alimoradi et al., 2022; Lakkunarajah et al., 2022; Li et al., 2022). Furthermore, compared to adults, adolescents are vulnerable to smartphone addiction (Kwon et al., 2013). The aim of the present study was to investigate the extent to which mobile phone use bears the hallmarks of excessive smartphone addiction or so-called phonoholism (Barabsa, 2018). Research methods: The Polish version of the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale for Adolescents (MPPUSA) was used (Krzyżak-Szymańska; 2018). A total of 684 adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years took part in the study. They were students from three schools – one primary and two secondary schools (a high school + technical school and a technical school + vocational school). The surveys are representative of these institutions. A short description of the context: As the scale has more than nine different cultural adaptations, the Polish data can be related to current global trends. Research findings: The results show that 14% of Polish adolescents are at risk and 3% use mobile phones problematically. Statistically significant relationships were found between the variable describing phone use among adolescents and both gender and type of school. Conclusions and/or recommendations: The MPPUSA only partially meets the needs of pedagogical diagnosis. There is little evidence from adolescents or data relating to students’ perspectives on phonoholism. The school pedagogue or class teacher should ask specific, multidimensional questions when diagnosing the problem. They should also use the clues from this preliminary diagnosis of the phenomenon in everyday school life concerning internet use.

Urbanization and aging populations challenge public health in developing cities like Shiraz, where environmental factors significantly influence old adults’ health. This study examined urban environmental impacts on older adults’ health in Shiraz and developed predictive machine learning models for health outcomes. A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2024 to January 2025, involving 3,000 older persons aged 60 years and above across 11 municipal zones of Shiraz. Stratified random sampling was used. Environmental data (green space per capita, population density, waste production) were extracted from municipal records. Health outcomes (BMI, frailty, depression, anxiety, and life satisfaction) were assessed using validated tools (GDS-4, GAI-5, LSI-Z). Statistical analyses included regression models and machine learning (Decision Tree, SVM). The SVM model demonstrated superior predictive performance (R²=0.75 for frailty) compared to Decision Trees (R²=0.71). Key predictive relationships emerged: each 1 m² increase in green space per capita predicted a 0.8-point reduction in depression scores (95% CI: -1.2 to -0.4) and 0.3-point lower frailty index. Waste production exceeding 250 kg/capita was associated with 35% greater fall risk (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.12–1.63). Population density showed nonlinear associations with outcomes in SVM models, with thresholds varying by health indicator. Environmental quality plays a critical role in older adults’ health. “Urban planning strategies that enhance green spaces and strengthen waste management systems may substantially improve health outcomes among older adults in urban settings.