Middle adulthood - FacultyWeb Support Center

January 5, 2018 | Author: Anonymous | Category: Science, Health Science, Endocrinology
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Chapter 13 Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Adulthood

Changing Midlife 

   

Today, many 50-year-olds are in better shape, more alert, and more productive than 40year-olds a generation or two ago Middle age is starting later and lasting longer Jung -- “Midlife is the afternoon of life” Increasing percentage of population is made up of middle-aged and older adults Best-educated and most affluent cohort

Defining Middle Adulthood  Middle

adulthood -- developmental period beginning about 40 and extending to 60–65 years   



period of declining physical skills and increasing responsibility shrinking time left in life reach and maintain satisfaction in career individuals make choices

Gains and Losses  Late

midlife may be characterized by the loss of a parent, the last child leaving the home, becoming a grandparent, preparation for retirement, and actual retirement  Overall, gains and losses may balance each other in midlife 

losses may begin to dominate gains for many individuals in late midlife

 Midlife

is characterized by individual variations

Physical Changes  Some   

of the visible signs

Skin begins to wrinkle and sag Areas of pigmentation in skin produce age spots Thinning and graying hair

 Interest

in plastic surgery, Botox, weight control, and vitamins may reflect the desire to take control of the aging process

Height and Weight  Individuals

lose height in middle age  Many gain weight 

 

body fat makes up 20 percent or more of weight in midlife as compared to 10 percent in adolescence almost 1/3 of adults 40–59 years are classified as obese obesity increases probability of other health issues

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006)

Vision and Hearing  Accommodation

of the eye -- ability to focus and maintain image on the retina declines between 40 and 59 years 

more need for glasses and/or bifocals

 Hearing  

also declines after age 40

sensitivity to pitches decreases men lose sensitivity earlier than women  resulting

from exposure to occupational noise

Cardiovascular System  High

blood pressure and cholesterol issues become problematic  Women’s blood pressure rises at menopause and typically remains higher than men’s  Exercise, weight control, proper dietary patterns can help decrease problems  Metabolic syndrome is an increasing problem 

Characterized by hypertension, obesity, and insulin resistance

Lungs  Little

change in lung capacity through most of middle adulthood 

In late 50s, proteins in lung tissue become less elastic, decreasing lung capacity

 Smokers

experience most significant changes 

lung capacity improves with quitting smoking

Sleep  Beginning

in 40s, more wakeful periods are more frequent, and there is less of the deepest sleep  More time lying awake results in feeling less rested  Sleep problems are more common for those who use a higher number of prescription and nonprescription medications, are obese, are depressed, or have cardiovascular disease

Health habits through the years  What

are health habits that can contribute to lower vitality? How is it lowering vitality?

 Think

of a bad health habit that you or someone you know exhibits and think of ways to change or manage the habit to become healthier.

Health and Disease  Frequency

of accidents declines  Individuals are less susceptible to colds and allergies  Stress is found to be a factor in disease

Chronic Disorders  Chronic

disorders are rare in early adulthood  Chronic disorders -- slow onset and long duration  Stress is found to be a factor in disease  Culture affects cardiovascular disease (Hertz, Unger, & Ferrano, 2006)

Mortality Rates  In

middle age, many deaths are caused by a single, readily identifiable cause  Leading causes   

heart disease cancer cardiovascular disease

 Men

have higher mortality rates than women for all of the leading causes of death

(National Center for Health Statistics, 2008)

Sexuality  Climacteric

-- midlife transition in which fertility declines  Osteoporosis  Menopause   

women’s menstrual periods completely cease side effects of menopause vary cross-cultural studies reveal wide variations

Treating Effects of Menopause  Hormone

replacement therapy (HRT) -augments declining levels of reproductive hormone production by the ovaries  

usually estrogen and progestin negative side effects for HRT  increased risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease

 Decreased

use of HRT has shown a related decline in the incidence of breast cancer

Hormonal Changes in MiddleAged Men  Most

men do not lose capacity to father children  Modest decline in sexual hormone level and activity  “Male menopause” probably has less to do with hormonal change than with psychological adjustment to overall decline  Testosterone levels decline and can reduce sexual drive  Most erectile dysfunctions stem from physiological problems 

treatment has focused on drug therapy

Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence  Crystallized

intelligence -- individual’s accumulated information and verbal skills  Fluid intelligence -- ability to reason abstractly; begins to decline in middle adulthood  When studying intelligence, whether data is collected cross-sectionally or longitudinally makes a difference in results

Speed of Information Processing Perceptual

speed begins declining in early adulthood and continues declining in middle age

Memory

 Controversy

about whether memory declines in the middle years -- most experts agree there is some decline, at least in late middle age  



More time is needed to learn new information The slowdown has been linked to working memory -the mental “workbench” where individuals manipulate and assemble information when making decisions, solving problems, and comprehending written and spoken language Memory decline is more likely to occur when individuals do not use effective memory strategies

Expertise  Expertise

shows up more in middle adulthood  Expertise involves having extensive, highly organized knowledge and understanding of a particular domain 

result of many years of experience, learning, and effort

Work in Midlife  Central

during the middle years  Reach peak of position and earnings  Middle-aged adults may experience age discrimination  May have multiple financial burdens  Time of evaluation, assessment, rebalance, and reflection

Career Challenges and Changes  Globalization

of work  Developments in information technologies  Downsizing of organizations  Early retirement  Concerns about pensions and health care  Some career changes are self-motivated; others are the result of job loss

Leisure  Leisure

-- pleasant times after work when individuals are free to pursue activities and interests of their own choosing 

midlife changes may produce more time for leisure

 Adults

in midlife need to begin preparing for retirement 

leisure can be a part of this preparation

Religion and Adult Lives  Majority

of middle-aged adults profess religious beliefs and consider spirituality a major part of their lives  For some, religion is a major influence to some adults but may play little or no role in others’ lives  Females show stronger interest and participate more

Religion and Health  Researchers

have found that religious attendance is linked to  a reduction of blood pressure and hypertension  increased longevity  Religion promotes health  lifestyle issues  social networks  coping with stress

Meaning in Life  Frankl

said that the three most distinct human qualities are:   

Spirituality Freedom Responsibility

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