Development: Ch 20 Adulthood: Biosocial Development – Flashcards

-as growth stops, senescence begins -a gradual physical aging over time -body becomes less strong and efficient -occurs in everyone and in every body part, but the rate of decline is highly variable within and between persons -CLASS NOTES: getting older, body going downhill. gradual decline. happens in every body part, but rate of decline is different in every person. lack of exercise, unhealthy diet, smoking, genetics, etc influence this

-adults usually feel 5-10 years younger -senescence does not necessarily cause illness or even impairment -most adults feel strong, capable, healthy, and "in their prine" -disease may correlate with senescence but is not the cause of senescence -some aspects of aging helps adults: slowing cancer, protecting organ reserve (allows normal functioning throughout the adult years) -homeostasis and allostasis help each part of the body adjust to accommodate changes in other parts, so the aging aspects of the brain, bloodstream, and cells is balanced by other factors that sustain life -life may be threatened when homeostasis is severely pressured or allostatic load becomes too heavy -coronary heart disease correlates with hypertension (high blood pressure) and cholesterol, which correlate with senescence . (plaque builds up around arteries from high blood pressure and high cholesterol) -homeostasis: the body's ability to maintain a balance; more difficult during senescence

-for most adults, neurological reserves, homeostasis, and allostasis protect the brain -brain slows down with age -neurons fire more slowly, reaction time lengthens because messages from the axon of one neuron are not picked up as quickly by the dendrites of other neurons -brain size decreases -multitasking becomes harder -processing takes longer -complex working memory tasks may be impossible -CLASS NOTES: neurons and dendrites don't work as wuickly as it used to. messages don't transmit as quickly. multitasking difficult. we should slow down pace of instructions, simple and easy language, visual instructions. reaction time slows down. brains literally shrink in size. memories get worse

1) drug abuse 2)poor circulation 3)viruses 4)genes

-all psychoactive drugs can harm the brain, especially alcohol abuse over decades, which can cause Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome ("wet brain") -CLASS NOTES: brain damage is caused, alcohol floods the brain. tremors. poor balance. like someone with a TBI. severely effected. many problems in all aspects

-everything that impairs blood flow such as hypertension and cigarette smoking- impairs cognition -CLASS NOTES: cuts off blood flow to the brain. lack of oxygen will cause brain damage

-the brain is protected from the most viruses by a so-called blood-brain barrier, but a few viruses, like HIV and the prion that causes mad cow disease, destroy neurons -CLASS NOTES: HIV. meningitis. measles. all cause brain damage

-about one in 1000 people inherit a dominant gene for dementia

-senescence of vital organs are not usually devastating in adulthood -changes in skin, hair, agility, and body shape are problematic in an age-conscious society -few adults want to look old, yet eventually they all will

-collagen (main component of the connective tissue of the body) decreases by about 1% every year -by age 30: skin is becoming thinner, less flexible, wrinkles become visible -by age 60: all faces are wrinkled -cells beneath surface are more viable -less firm -sags -age spots, tiny blood vessels, and other imperfections appear -troubling to people (usually women) who associate youth with sexual attractiveness

-gray and thinner -visible sign of aging -body hair becomes less dense

-"middle age spread" -muscles weaken -height decreases by late middle age -muscles shrink, joints lose flexibility; agility is reduced -genes and exercise cause variations in aging -stiffness is more evident, bending is harder -muscles are dependent on use -intellectual and emotional gains of adulthood may compensate for the physical changes -CLASS NOTES: effects posture. makes you less strong. they contract. so when it shrinks, it can't be extended. we lose flexibility and strength. cannot control genes, but we can control exercise

-increases waist circumference, all muscles weaken, pockets of fat settle on the abdomen, the upper arms, the buttocks, and the chin. people stoop slightly when they stand -as we age, muscles shrink. as they shrink, they push spinal column together. the spaces become smaller. discs get smaller. why people's heights shrink -get shorter than they were because back muscles, connective tissue, and bones lose density, making the vertebrae in spine shrink

-all senses become less acute with each decade, with losses in any one sense affecting the others -rate of senescence varies person to person and organ to organ, but each part of each organ is on its own timetable

-some aspects of vision seem impaired by age -lifestyle and genes make a dramatic difference -peripheral vision narrows faster than frontal vision -color vision shifts from vivid to faded more quickly than does black and white (reason contrast of colors is good) -nearsightedness: difficulty seeing objects at a distance; powerfully affected by genes and age; their far focus is better; increases gradually beginning in one's 20's -farsightedness: lens of the eye is less elastic and the cornea flattens by middle age -younger adults are usually either nearsighted OR farsighted; most older adults are both -takes longer for the eyes to adjust to darkness or to adjust to glare -motion perception and contrast sensitivity slows down -lens of eye thickens, brighter lighting is needed -CLASS NOTES: especially ages 40-60, we lose peripheral vision. presbyopia (becomes more farsighted than near sighted) like when they pull the menu away from them ro read. ability to see either far and near

-presbycusis: (literally, aging hearing). a loss of hearing that is associated with senescence and that usually does not become apparent until after age 60. may occur earlier with damage from loud music and earphones. -hearing aids are helpful

-senescence is the process of aging, evident in every body part from the moment growth ends. -for most adults, body and brain continue to function well, as organ reserve and homeostasis compensate for momentary stress -activities that require peak performance of many body parts, like major athletic contests, reveal aging -appearance reflects age: skin becomes less smooth, hair grays and thins, bodies add fat, shape changes -such external changes have little impact on physical health but many adults worry about them and try to look young -all the senses become less acute, with some aspects declining much faster than others -genes and experiences affect sensory senescence

-local values shape contraceptive patterns -whether or not it matters to the individual depends on historical context (including medical advances) and local values -different accessability -female to male sterilization 2:1 ratio; ethnic variability -vasectomy and hysterectomy are options in our country -early abortion: global difference in legality; some places, its the only form of contraception

-reproduction is basically impossible by age 50 -sexual arousal occurs more slowly with age and orgasm takes longer -some of these slowdowns are counterbalanced by reduced anxiety and better communication, as partners become more familiar with their own bodies and those of their mates -distress at lower responsiveness is more associated with anxiety, interpersonal relationships, and expectations than with aging itself -sexual desire and activity are reduced with age for both sexes -adults of all ages enjoy "very high levels of emotional satisfaction and physical pleasure from sex within their relationships" -men and women were most likely to be "extremely satisfied" with sex if in a committed, monogamous relationship -attitudes of sex have changed; now more positive. used to be shameful and dirty -CLASS NOTES: decline in sexual responsiveness. people get upset with this decrease in sexual response. things on market: viagra

every adult couple takes delight in being close to each other; physically and emotionally -important to people in this age bracket

-inability to conceive a child for at least a year of trying (varies nation to nation) -infertility increases when medical care is scarce and STIs are common, so it varies nation to nation -couples in 40s try to conceive, half fail, the other half risk various complications (most babies are healthy children) -biologically, best for women to have kids before age 25 -12% of all couples are infertile, partly because many postpone child bearing -CLASS NOTES: fertility decreases with age, like 30+. risk factors in age 40+ pregnancies: birth defects; and older persons sperm can make possibility of down syndrome

-when couples are infertile, it is the male 1/3 of the time, the woman about another third, and a mystery the final third -in males: low sperm count; common but easy to remedy. multiple factors (advanced age, fever, radiation, prescription drugs, stress, environmental toxins, drug abuse, alcoholism, cigarette smoking) can reduce sperm number, shape, and mobility -in females: fertility can be affected by anything that impairs physical functioning (advanced age, diseases, smoking, extreme dieting, obesity). -often to not realize they have contracted a disease that caused their infertility -pelvic inflammatory disease

-scar tissue is created that can block the Fallopian tubes, preventing sperm from reaching the ovum

-advances in medicine have solved about half of all fertility problems -surgery repairs reproductive systems -assisted reproductive technology (ART) overcomes obstacles such as low sperm count and blocked fallopian tubes; includes in vitro fertilization -need expensive medical assistance; usually not covered by insurance -CLASS NOTES: when having trouble getting pregnant. different ways to produce egg and sperm production

-procedure in which ova (egg cells) are surgically removed from a woman and fertilized with sperm in a labratory -after the fertilized cells (the zygotes) have divided several times, they are inserted into a woman's uterus -CLASS NOTES: take egg from female, put in a dish, put sperm in it, put it back in female. insurance does not cover it. private pay. very expensive

the time in middle age, usually around age 50, when a woman's menstrual periods cease completely and the production of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone drops considerably -dated one year after a woman's last period, although many months before and after that date are menopausal -affected primarily by genes (17 identified) -has psychological consequences that vary more than physical ones -ovulation and menstruation stop because of marked drop in production of several hormones -usually between ages 42 and 58

vaginal dryness, body temperature, disturbance, including hot flashes (feeling hot), hot flushes (looking hot) and cold sweats (feeling chilled), erratic moods, energetic moods, depressed

surgical removal of the uterus, which often includes removal of her ovaries

-taking hormones (in pills, patches, or injections) to compensate for hormone reduction -usually involves estrogen and progesterone -HRT is most common in women at menopause or after removal of the ovaries, but it is also used by men as their testosterone decreases -HRT has some medical uses, but also carries health risks -some do it to alleviate symptoms of menopause, to prevent osteoporosis (fragile bones), heart disease, strokes, or dementia -health risks: heart disease and cancer -adult health depends more on health habits than on HRT -CLASS NOTES: can take medication, but risks of cancer, heart issues. effects ability to maintain homeostasis, but will dimish risk of osteoporosis

-(male menopause) -a term coined to signify a dropin testosterone levels in older men, which normally results in reduced sexual desire, erections, and muscle mass. -age related lower testosterone -even with erection- inducing drugs like Viagra and Levitra, sexual desire and speed of orgasm decline with age -skeptical of the benefits

-the efficiency of the sexual reproductive system declines with age, beginning in the 20's -longer to reach orgasms, frequency of intercourse declines, and fertility is reduced- although psychological aspects of sexual interaction may improve -about 12% of couples in the US are infertile, age being one of the reasons -assisted reproduction has helped millions of infertile couples give birth, although the process may be difficult, with no guarantee of conception -women experience menopause at age 51, a drop in estrogen that makes ovulation and menstruation cease -hormone production also declines in men with age, although many elderly men continue to produce viable sperm -hormone replacement therapy for either sex is controversial -many US physicians fear possible health risks for both men and women, although many women elsewhere and many men in the US take hormones

-every fatal disease becomes more common with every decade of adulthood -routines and habits powerfully affect every disease and chronic condition

-decreases for illegal drugs -abuse of illegal drugs decreases markedly over adulthood -marijuana is the slowest to decline; in the US, 8% OF 24-34 year olds still use it, impairing cognition and oral health -abuse of prescribed medication increases -adults do not realize when they become addicted -in US, the most addictive drugs are the two legal ones: tobacco and alcohol

-cigarette smoking has declined in the US, over the past 50 years -worldwide trends are less encouraging; smoking rates rising in developing nations. smoking related cancers increasing throughout the world -death rates for lung cancer (the leading cause of cancer deaths in North America) reflect smoking patterns of years earlier -the rate has declined -far fewer people of any age are smoking in US -variations among nations, cohorts, and gender indicate smoking is affected by social norms, laws, and advertising -CLASS NOTES: tobacco use has decreased over the years. not acceptable to smoke in public places

-drinking can be beneficial in moderation- never more than 2 drinks a day- increases life expectancy. live longer than abstainers, drinking more than that is harmful -alcohol reduces coronary heart disease and strokes -it increases HDL (the good form of cholesterol) and reduced LDL (the bad form of cholesterol that causes clogged arteries and blood clots) -lowers blood pressure and glucose

-binge drinking increases risk of strokes and high blood pressure -abuse will destroy brain cells, contribute to osteoporosis, decrease fertility, and accompany many suicides, homicides, and accidents -implicated in 60 diseases, not only liver damage but also cancer of the breast, stomach, and throat -stark international variations in alcohol abuse --binge drinking signals a problem; about 20% of US adults have had five or more drinks on a single occasion in the past year disproportionate burden of harm in poorer countries; prevention and treatment strategies have not been fully established -low income nations have more abstainers, more abusers, and fewer moderate drinkers than more affluent nations

-metabolism decreases by 1/3 between ages 20 and 60. -digestion becomes less efficient -to stay the same weight, adults must eat less and move more as they age

-in US, adults gain an average of one to 2 pounds each year -over 40 years of adulthood, thats 40-80 pounds -2/3 of US adults are overweight, 20% of these women are morbidly obese -overweight = BMI of 25 or more -half a billion people worldwide are obese -rates have reached a plateau in the US, but many developing nations are reporting rapidly increasing rates: especially in Africa and Asia, where malnutrition once was the most prevalent nutritional problem, now obesity is

-mortality rates by age for adults who were somewhat overweight were lower than the rates for people who were thinner -obesity is not healthy -excess body fat increases the risk of almost every chronic disease, including diabetes -diabetes: rapidly becoming more common. causes eye, heart, and foot problems as well as early death -US is world leader in diabetes and obesity -consequences of obesity are psychological as well as physical, since adults who are obese are targets of scorn and prejudice -stigma of fat people leads them to avoid medical check ups, to eat more, and to exercise less, with the result that their health is far more impaired than the mere fact that their weight would predict

-goals for people whose health is damaged by their weight should be to lose enough pounds to protect their health rather than to reach a normal weight -healthy eating and good health care is important for all adults, whether or not they are overweight -relationship between culture and obesity is crucial -adaptation to national conditions lowered the health risk -many people do not seem able to control their eating before it becomes dangerous -for the morbidly obese, bariatric surgery may be the best option -about 200,000 US residents undergo gastric bypass or gastric banding surgery to lose weight each year. risky -this surgery that reduced obesity saves lives because morbid obesity is a serious risk to survival CLASS NOTES: need to order special things for obesity. epidemic

-many US adults choose high calorie, low nutrition foods, more meat and fat and less fiber -only 27% of US adults eat three daily servings of vegetables -weight gain may be related to consumption of sugar, either sucrose or fructose (added to many packaged foods and beverages through corn syrup) -too many high-calorie foods combined with too little activity leads to obesity -reduced sugar in foods let people lose weight -correlation between national sugar consumption and diabetes -nutrition is a factor in almost every adult ailment -Mediterranean diet: high in fiber, fish, and olive oil. has been proven to protect against heart disease without adding weight -CLASS NOTES: fast pace lifestyle, fads, accessibility of food, unhealthy food is cheaper, quick access to sugar

-obesity is not healthy; excess body fat increases the risk of almost every chronic disease -regular physical activity at every stage of life protects against serious illness -sitting for long hours correlates with almost every unhealthy condition, especially heart disease and diabetes, both of which carry additional health hazards beyond the disease itself -exercise reduced blood pressure, strengthens heart and lungs, makes depression, osteoporosis, heart disease, arthritis, and even some cancers, less likely -health benefits from exercising -older and lazier -even little movement helps, but more intense exercise (swimming, jogging, biking) is ideal -people who are more fit are likely to resist disease and feel healthier as they age -close connection between exercise and both physical and mental health, as is the influence of the close people around you -people who are more active and fit have stronger immune systems, so they resist disease, feel energetic, which itself increases good health habbits -CLASS NOTES: concept of exercising may be overwhelming for older people. even a little bit helps

changing a habit is a long, multistep process involving stage-specific strategies for each step -denial -awareness with motivational interviewing -planning -implementation with social support -maintenance with focus on strength and attentional myopia

-during adulthood, health habits are crucial -in nations with good medical care, if no one smoked, drank too much, overate, underexercised, almost everyone would reach age 65 ready for decades more of active, happy life -studies of bad habbits over the decades of adulthood and over the years of the 21st century are not always encouraging -cigarette smoking is decreasing in North America but not in many other nations -the US includes a higher proportion of overweight, diabetic adults than almost any other nation -alcohol abuse, obesity, and inactivity were not recognized as problems a few decades ago; now they are, but most adults find them hard to reverse -in many nations, better economic circumstances may, ironically, increase destructive health habbits

-most of the US expenditure on health goes toward preventing death among people who are already sick (tertiary prevention) than on wellness, before anyone gets sick -in contrast, primary and secondary prevention are the goals of most public health workers and developmentalists -to measure effectiveness of various efforts, 4 indicators are used: mortality, morbidity, disability, and vitality -CLASS NOTES: obamacare promotes more health and wellness. health and wellness tries to prevent disease, rather than fix it after. now we help people who already have diagnosis -if the focus is only on mortality and morbidity, prevention is tertiary (saving the seriously ill from dying) or secondary (spotting early symptoms) -if the goal is less disability and more vitality, then factors (such as poullution, drug abuse, and global warming) that reduce QALY by a tiny bit for millions of people merit attention

-death -usually refers to the number of deaths each year per 1000 members of a given population, compiled from death certificates -age-adjusted mortality rate in the US in 2010 was 757 per 100,000 -lower for women in US and worldwide, biological and cultural influences -usually expressed as an annual number of deaths per hundred thousand in a population -to compare health among nations, age-adjusted mortality rates are needed -mortality statistics are compiled from death certificates, which indicate sex, age, and immediate cause of death -this practice allows valid international and historic comparisons because deaths have been counted and recorded for decades -women live 4 years longer than men (varies) -gender differences in mortality might be biological, or cultural. can also vary by ethnicity, income, and place of residence

-disease -as a measure of health, morbidity usually refers to the rate of diseases in a given population - physical and emotional, acute (sudden), and chronic (ongoing). physical and psychological -morbidity does not necessarily correlate with mortality -worldwide, as mortality decreases, morbidity increases

-long-term difficulty in performing normal activities of daily life because of some physical, emotional, or mental condition -limitation in functioning (not severity of disease) is the hallmark of disability -does not necessarily equal morbidity -only 30% of people with disabilities consider their health fair or poor -Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs): a measure of the reduced quality of life caused by disability. one way to measure a person's degree of impairment due to a disability

-a measure of health that refers to how healthy and energetic - physically, intellectually, and socially- an individual actually feels -zest for living, love of life (joie de vivre) -a person can feel terrific despite having a serious disease or disability -affected more by personality and social affirmation than by biology -one way to measure vitality is to calculate quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) -QALYS: a way of comparing mere survival without vitality to survival with good health. A full year of good health is a full QALY; people with less than full health have a fraction of QALY each year. thus, their total QALY is less than the total years they live (a healthy, energetic person who lives 70 years has 70 QALYs) -calculating DALYs and QALYs help in allocating public funds

-money and education protect health -well-educated, financially secure adults love longer and avoid morbidity and disability more than their fellow citizens -education teaches people health habits -education leads to higher income, which allows better housing and medical care -education may be a marker for intelligence, which is a protective factor -rich countries have lower rates of disease, injury, and early death CLASS NOTES: people with more money are healthier because they can afford more resources. people with higher education are healthier, more aware of risk factors, preventions, will make more money. illegal immigrants don't have health care and is pretty much inaccessible to them. no prevention. wait til it gets worse. barrier of accessing health. language barrier. don't want to get caught

-health can be measured in at least 4 ways -mortality is the easiest way to compare nations and cohorts, since keeping track of deaths is straightforward -morbidity measure chronic illness, requiring diagnoses and ideally leading to treatment -morbidity is more common on women then in men -disability is indicated by difficulty performing daily tasks -worldwide, disability is increasingly recognized as including psychological difficulties that make it hard to live a full life -vitality is the joy in living -vitality is sought by everyone, affected by culture and personal choices, and may be independent of mortality and morbidity -SES within nations and among nations has a dramatic impact on health, yet individuals sometimes find ways to overcome the strikes against them