The document discusses health, illness, and disease across the lifespan from childhood to older adulthood. Key points include: - Children's health is influenced by timely immunizations, accidents being a leading cause of death, and caregivers playing an important role. Poor health is also an issue for children in low-income families. - Adolescence is a critical time for adopting health behaviors, with social contexts like families and peers being influential. Emerging adults have higher mortality rates than adolescents and may not consider how behaviors affect later health. - Chronic illnesses become more common with age, with cancer and cardiovascular disease being leading causes of death. Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases are also discussed as forms of dementia that

1. PSY 375
LIFESPAN
DEVELOPMENT
Health
Week 3

2. HEALTH, ILLNESS, AND DISEASE:
CHILDREN’S HEALTH
Prevention
• Timely immunizations are key to preventing disease
• Accidents are the leading cause of death for children
• Caregivers play an important role in children’s health
Poverty
• Poor health is an issue for children in low-income families
• No usual source of health care
• Malnourishment influences resistance to disease

3. HEALTH, ILLNESS, AND DISEASE:
ADOLESCENTS’ HEALTH
Adolescence is a critical juncture for adopting
behaviors that affect health
• Many factors linked to poor health habits and early death
begin during adolescence
Social contexts influence adolescent health
• Families, peers, schools, neighborhoods, and culture
• Many adolescents have a limited capacity to resist peer
pressure and risk taking

4. HEALTH, ILLNESS, AND DISEASE:
EMERGING AND YOUNG ADULTS’
HEALTH
Emerging adults have more than twice the
mortality rate of adolescents
Many know how to be healthy but do not apply the
information to their own behavior
• Few consider how their personal lifestyles will affect their
health later in their adult lives
• Common pattern: not eating breakfast and regular meals,
relying on snacks, eating excessively, drinking, failing to
exercise, and getting inadequate sleep

5. HEALTH, ILLNESS, AND DISEASE:
HEALTH AND AGING
Although many older adults are healthy, age can
bring new health problems
Chronic disorders—those characterized by a slow
onset and long duration—become more common
• Cancer is now the leading cause of death for adults aged
65 to 74 in the United States
• For those aged 75 and over, cardiovascular disease
remains the leading cause
• Arthritis is the most common chronic disorder
• Women are especially vulnerable to osteoporosis, which
involves an extensive loss of bone tissue

6. HEALTH AND AGING:
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Dementia: neurological disorder in which the
primary symptoms involve deterioration of mental
functioning
Alzheimer’s disease: a progressive, irreversible
brain disorder characterized by gradual
deterioration of memory, reasoning, language, and
physical function
• As many as 10 million baby boomers are expected to
develop the disease in their lifetime
• Specific causes have not been identified, but age is an
important risk factor and genes likely play a role

7. TWO BRAINS: NORMAL AGING AND ALZHEIMER
DISEASE
The computer graphic on the left shows a slice of a normal aging brain, while the one on the right
shows a slice of a brain ravaged by Alzheimer disease. Notice the deterioration and shrinking in the
diseased brain.
© Alfred Pasieka/Science Source

8. HEALTH AND AGING:
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Early detection and drug treatment
• Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a risk factor
• As many as 10% to 20% of individuals 65 years or older have
MCI
• Cholinesterase inhibitors are designed to improve
memory and other cognitive functions
• These drugs do not treat the cause of the disease
Caring for individuals with Alzheimer disease
• Family who provide care face emotional and physical
strain
• Respite care—temporary relief for caregivers—can ease
the stress
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alzheimers-disease-morning-rounds-tips-communicating-care/

9. HEALTH AND AGING:
PARKINSON’S DISEASE
Another type of dementia is Parkinson’s disease
• Chronic, progressive disease characterized by muscle
tremors, slowed movements, and partial facial paralysis
• Triggered by degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons in
the brain
Available treatments:
• Drug treatments
• Deep brain stimulation
Stem cell therapy and gene therapy may offer hope for
treatment in the future

10. HEALTH AND AGING:
STRESS AND DISEASE
Stress is increasingly being identified as a factor in
many diseases
• Cumulative effect of chronic stress often takes a toll on
one’s health by middle age
• Perceived stress symptoms may contribute to self-care
disability and mobility limitations later in life
Stress and race

11. HEALTH AND AGING:
HEALTH TREATMENT FOR OLDER
ADULTS
As older adults age, the probability of being in a nursing
home or extended-care facility increases
• Quality of such facilities varies enormously
• More than one-third are seriously deficient
• Fail federally mandated inspections on the basis of physicians,
pharmacists, and rehabilitation specialists
Home health care, elder-care centers, and preventive
medicine clinics can be good alternatives
Feelings of control and self-determination are important
factors related to health and survival in care settings

12. SWITCHING GEARS…

13. NUTRITION AND EATING
BEHAVIOR
IN INFANCY
Adequate energy intake and nutrients in a loving
and supportive environment is of critical
importance
• Caregivers are important in eating pattern development
• Too many young children already do not eat enough fruits and
vegetables, which can have negative consequences later in life
Breast versus bottle feeding
• Growing consensus is that breast feeding is better than
bottle feeding for the baby’s health
• American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Breastfeeding
recommends exclusive breast feeding in the first six months

14. STOPPING FOR A MINUTE…
“Study after study comparing breastfed and formula
fed infants seem to show that breastfed babies had
superior IQs and suffered less illness.”
However, a recent study where groups were
randomized into two: one group received
breastfeeding support while the other did not,
demonstrated little differences between infants that
were formula fed vs. breastfed.
What might lead to these differences in findings? What
can our knowledge of research methods show us?

15. NUTRITION AND EATING BEHAVIOR
IN INFANCY

16. NUTRITION AND EATING
BEHAVIOR
IN CHILDHOOD
Malnutrition is a major threat to millions
Poor nutrition is a special concern for infants from
low-income families in the United States
• Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) program provides
federal grants to states for healthy supplemental foods,
health-care referrals, and nutrition education
• Participants’ children have shown short-term cognitive benefits
and longer-term reading and math benefits

17. NUTRITION AND EATING
BEHAVIOR
IN CHILDHOOD
Overweight children
• Has become a serious health problem
• Being overweight as a child is linked to being an
overweight adult
• Consequences include increased risk of many medical
and psychological problems
• Diet, exercise, and behavior modification is often
recommended

18. NUTRITION AND EATING
BEHAVIOR
IN ADOLESCENCE
Nutrition and being overweight are also key
problems among adolescents
Team sports participation and family meals both
appear to lower risk for being overweight

19. NUTRITION AND EATING BEHAVIOR
IN ADOLESCENCE: ANOREXIA NERVOSA
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that
involves a relentless pursuit of thinness through
starvation
• Characteristics:
• Weighing less than 85% of normal for one’s age
• Intense fear of gaining weight
• Distorted perception of body shape
• Amenorrhea—lack of menstruation
• Typically begins in the early to middle adolescent years,
often after a period of dieting and some type of life stress
• About 10 times more likely to occur in females
• Both biology and culture are involved

20. NUTRITION AND EATING BEHAVIOR
IN ADOLESCENCE: BULIMIA NERVOSA
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that involves
a consistent binge-and-purge eating pattern
• Self-induced vomiting or using a laxative
• Typically begins in late adolescence or early adulthood
• About 90% of cases are women
Drug therapy and psychotherapy are effective with
anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa

21. NUTRITION AND EATING BEHAVIOR
IN ADOLESCENCE: BINGE EATING
DISORDER
Binge eating disorder (BED) involves frequent
binge eating but without purging
• Recurrent episodes of eating large quantities and feeling
a lack of control over eating
• Individuals are frequently overweight
• Far more females than males develop BED
• Cognitive behavior therapy and interpersonal therapy are
the most strongly supported interventions

22. EXERCISE IN CHILDHOOD
Children need daily exercise to support the
development and coordination of large muscles
• Daily activity has been linked to numerous other benefits
• Including benefits for insulin resistance and body fat levels, lower
blood pressure, decreased cardiovascular risk, and improved bone
strength
• Children’s brain development also benefits from regular
exercise
• Attention, memory, effortful and goal-directed thinking and behavior,
and creativity
Parents and schools strongly influence children’s
exercise habits

23. EXERCISE IN ADOLESCENCE
Individuals become less active as they reach and
move through adolescence
• Boys more likely to engage in moderate to vigorous exercise
Exercise is linked to a number of positive outcomes
• Positive weight status, reduced triglyceride levels, lower blood
pressure, lower risk of diabetes, better connectivity between
brain regions, and improved sleep patterns
• Fewer depressive symptoms, higher academic achievement,
and improved memory
Parents and peers play important roles

24. EXERCISE IN ADULTHOOD
Benefits of exercise continue in adulthood
• Reduced risk for obesity, cardiovascular disease,
and diabetes
• Lower levels of anxiety and depression
Aerobic exercise—sustained activity that
stimulates heart and lung functioning—is important

25. EXERCISE: AGING AND LONGEVITY
1
In a study of middle-aged and older adults,
sedentary participants were more than twice as
likely to die than those who were moderately fit
• Three times more likely to die than highly-fit participants
Strength training, aerobic activity, and stretching is
recommended for older adults
• Resistance exercise can help preserve and possibly
increase muscle mass

26. SUBSTANCE USE IN ADOLESCENCE
1
Adolescence is a critical time for the onset of
substance abuse
• United States has one of the highest rates of adolescent
drug use of any industrialized nation
• Notable declines have been seen in drug use in the 21st century
for LSD, cocaine, cigarettes, sedatives, tranquilizers, and
Ecstasy
• Marijuana is the most widely used in the U.S. and Europe
• Although alcohol use has declined, driving while under the
influence of alcohol is still a serious problem
• Cigarette smoking has declined but remains one of the
most serious yet preventable health problems

27. SUBSTANCE USE IN ADOLESCENCE
Development, parents, peers, and educational
success all play a role
• Drugs and drinking in adolescence or even childhood
increase risk of heavy consumption and abuse in later life
• Positive relationships with parents and others can
reduce drug use
• Educational success acts as a buffer for the emergence
of drug problems

28. SUBSTANCE USE AMONG EMERGING
ADULTS
Transition from high school to college may be a
critical risk period for alcohol abuse
• Binge drinking: having 5 or more drinks in a row
Cigarette smoking is on the decline; but many
young smokers transition to heavier use after high
school

29. SUBSTANCE USE IN OLDER
ADULTS
Alcohol and substance use peaks in emerging
adulthood and declines somewhat
• Substance use often goes undetected in older adults and
has been identified as the “invisible epidemic”
• Risk rises for those taking multiple medications
Study shows no evidence that moderate
drinking had protective health benefits.

30. RELATING TO RESEARCH
METHODS
• What to do with these contradictory findings in
the images on the previous slide?
• Let’s break it down
• Can we think of WHY there might be contradictory
findings?
• Make a list on your own
• Now what?