Eating disorders and body image significantly impact the physical and mental health of females. This study aimed to compare eating disorders and body image between athlete and non-athlete females. The research design employed a casual-comparative approach. The statistical population included all female students at Mohaghegh Ardebili University in 2019, with 30 female students from the physical education selected through convenience sampling as the athlete group. Additionally, 30 female students without regular physical activity were chosen as the non-athlete group. Data were collected using the Eating Attitudes Questionnaire-26 and the Self-Body Multidimensional Relationship Questionnaire. The obtained data were analyzed through multivariate analysis of variance using SPSS software, Version 22. The results revealed that mean scores of eating disorders in female athletes were lower than those in non-athlete females, while the mean scores of body image in athlete females were higher than in non-athlete females (P < 0. 05). In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that exercise can contribute to the reduction of eating disorders and improvement of body image in females.

INTRODUCTION: The Red Crescent Society (RCS), as a non-profit organization and a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, engages in relief, humanitarian and public benefit activities, which are influenced by the nature of volunteerism. The purpose of this research is to evaluate and rank the career motivation of two groups of athletes and non-athletes volunteers of the IRCS. METHODS: In this applied survey, data were collected based on Self-Determination Theory framework through a standard questionnaire with stratified random sampling. Due to the Coronavirus situation in the country, questionnaires were sent online to 30, 000 young members of the RCS Youth Organization throughout the country which 2815 questionnaires were answered. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods and SPSS-26 software. FINDINGS: According to the findings, the career motivation components of the volunteers in the non-athlete group in order of prioritization are as follows: extrinsic (identified regulation), intrinsic, external (introjected regulation, integrated regulation and externalized regulation) and in the athlete group in order of prioritization is such as: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic (identified regulation), external (introjected regulation, integrated regulation and externalized regulation). CONCLUSION: According to the results, it can be stated that there is a significant difference in the ranking of voluntary career motivation components between athletes and non-athletes volunteer members of the RCS. On this basis, the RCS must have a proper understanding of the difference in the motivational components of people of different age, cultural, gender, etc., in order to improve the level of its social capital.

Background: Recent studies have shown that physical activity is an effective factor in improving sleep quality. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the sleep quality of athlete and non-athlete pregnant women.Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive analytical study was performed on 300 pregnant women in the last trimester of pregnancy, referred to prenatal care unit of Amiralmomenin Hospital in city of Zabol. After selection via convenience sampling, participants were divided into two groups of athletes and non-athletes based on their level of physical activity. Data were collected via a demographic form and Pittsburgh sleep quality and Baek physical activity questionnaires. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-test.Results: The mean score of sleep quality in pregnant women was 8.51 ± 2.09. Overall, 81.2% of the subjects had poor sleep quality. The sleep quality of athlete (7.19 ± 1.68) and that of non-athlete (10.18 ± 2.28) pregnant women were undesirable. However, athlete pregnant women had significantly better sleep quality compared to non-athletes (P=0.003).Conclusion: Based on the results and the high prevalence of sleep disorders in pregnant women, as well as the positive impact of physical activity on sleep quality, daily physical activity seems essential for improvement of sleep quality in pregnant women.

Regular participation in intensive physical exercise is associated with electro-morphological changes in the heart. This benign process is called athlete’s heart. Athlete’s heart resembles few pathologic conditions in some aspects. So differentiation of these conditions is very important which otherwise may lead to a catastrophic event such as sudden death. The most common causes of sudden death in young athletes are cardiomyopathies, congenital coronary anomalies, and ion channelopathies. The appropriate screening strategy to prevent sudden cardiac death in athletes remains a challenging issue. The purpose of this review is to describe the characteristics of athlete’s heart and demonstrate how to differentiate it from pathologic conditions that can cause sudden death.