Dr. Najmeh-Alsadat Shojaeian – Assistant professor, Islamic Azad University, Bojnourd
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My experience in research began with an interest in psychological features and their effects on performance. My Master’s training has included studies of psychological aspects of physical training among adolescents, and the effects of motivational and instructional self-talk on the performance of young players. Moreover, the survey of the “relationship between emotional intelligence (EQ) and job stress among sport staff” allow me to be familiar with some concepts like EQ and stress. Gaining experience in the assessment of psychological features might allow me to integrate self-talk and stress into my own studies. I have continued this field and have taught it for the undergraduate and graduate students from 2009 till now. This course could help persons to improve their mood psychological features and learn them to apply the useful methods for their learners.
During my Doctoral training, I followed my interest and studied interventions for Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), which affects 5% to 6% of school-age children. The process of child development during early years is one of the most important factors that affect performances during adolescence and adulthood. Although children’s motor skills have a heredity component, at least half of the variance is likely to be influenced by the environment. Some factors include prenatal drinking; diabetes; drugs; being deficient in iodine or iron; and postnatal depression. Children born small for gestational age or with neonatal problems appear to have greater risk. Thus, during my Doctoral training, I focused on prenatal environmental factors which predict developmental patterns in infancy. We examined the effects of maternal physical activity during pregnancy among primiparous women on cognitive, motor, and social development of infants. Thus, 40 mother-neonate pairs were selected and their infants were evaluated at ages of 1 and 3 months. Motor development information of infants was evaluated based on the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Denver Developmental Screening Test and the questionnaire of Affordance in the Home Environment for Motor Development-Infant Scale. Our results indicated that active pregnancy, especially in the second and third trimesters, was associated with improved maternal health outcomes and with improved motor development in infancy. Also, one of graduated student worked on the effect HIIT (high intensity interval training) on estradiol serum concentration and sexual satisfaction among postpartum. Moreover, I wrote an article about the COVID-19 and pregnancy and I have tried to focus on the existing guidelines for pregnant women. Also, my colleagues and I are working on the relationship between maternal prenatal physical activities and COVID-19 symptoms among pregnant women.
During these years, I have taught some courses like Motor development, Motor learning, and Research methods, Seminar etc. for the graduate and undergraduate students. I believe that this field not only help student to increase their knowledge, but also help the society to improve their health. Therefore, my training in Motor Development has emphasized that a healthy community needs to have a healthy people, and these conditions are provided by researches and public awareness. My final goal is to help to inform people, learner and researchers about importance of this field.