CHAPTER 5
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
*
Learning Objectives
*
Building Blocks of Growth and Development
Human growth is influenced by the interaction of genetic and environmental factors
Inherit a genetic propensity for height (tall, short, medium), but the propensity is affected by environmental influence of nutrition (adequate or inadequate)
*
Building Blocks of Growth and Development – The Endocrine System
Endocrine glands secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream
Pituitary gland is the master endocrine gland and triggers the release of hormones from all other endocrine glands
Pituitary produces growth hormone
Thyroid gland influences physical growth and development of the central nervous system
Thyroid deficiency can affect intellectual development and growth
*
Building Blocks of Growth and Development – The Endocrine System
Influence the growth spurt, responsible for development of male sex organs, contribute to sexual motivation
Influences the growth spurt, responsible for development of breasts, pubic hair, and female sex organs, controls the menstrual cycle
Orchestrates changes that allow conception and then supports pregnancy
Contribute to the maturation of bone and muscle and to sexual motivation
*
*
Building Blocks of Growth and Development – The Nervous System
Basic unit is the neuron
Neurons have branching dendrites that receive signals from other neurons and a long axon that transmits electric signals to other neurons (or a muscle cell)
Neuron-to-neuron connections are made at a synapse
Axons are covered in myelin, a fatty sheath
Myelination begins prenatally and continues for many years
Progressive myelination is responsible for aspects of development such as language, abstract thinking, concentration, and integration of thought and emotion
*
Caption: Parts of a neuron. (a) Although neurons differ in size and function, they all contain three main parts: the dendrites, which receive messages from adjacent neurons; the cell body; and the axon, which sends messages across the synapse to other neurons. (b) The formation of dendrites leading to new connections among existing neurons, as well as the myelination of neural pathways, accounts for much of the increase in brain weight during a baby’s first two years.
*
Building Blocks of Growth and Development – Brain Development
At birth, the brain weighs 25% of its adult weight
By age 2, the brain weighs 75% of its adult weight
By age 5, the brain weighs 90% of its adult weight
Can be highly vulnerable to damage by teratogens
Can often recover successfully from injuries
The critical or sensitive period for brain development is during the late prenatal period and early infancy
*
Learning Objectives
approach to our understanding of health?
*
Brain Development
The functions controlled by the two hemispheres diverge
Typically, the left cerebral hemisphere controls the right side of the body
Adept at the sequential processing needed for analytic reasoning and language processing; “thinking side” of the brain
Typically, the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body
Skilled at the simultaneous processing needed for understanding spatial information and for processing visual-motor information and the emotional content of information; the “emotional side” of the brain
The hemispheres are connected by the neurons that make up the corpus callosum
Direction the head is turned, grasp reflex, hemispheric response to speech sounds
*
Brain Development
Evidence from research suggests that the brain is responsive to experience and capable of neurogenesis across the lifespan
Process of generating new neurons
*
Brain Development
Some loss of neurons, diminished functioning of neurons, and changes to related tissues, such as myelin
Greatest loss in the areas that control sensory and motor activities
Decrease in brain weight and volume
Transmission of signals by atrophied neurons is less effective
Declines in levels of neurotransmitters
Formation of “senile plaques”
Reduced blood flow to the brain
*
Brain Development
*
Building Blocks of Growth and Development – Principles of Growth
Cephalocaudal principle
Head-to-tail direction
Proximodistal principle
From the center outward to the extremities
Orthogenic principle
Development starts globally and undifferentiated and proceeds toward hierarchal integration and differentiation
*
Cephalocaudal principle
Head-to-tail direction
–The head is far ahead of the rest of the body during the prenatal period and accounts for about 25% of the newborn’s length and 13% of total body weight.
–The head accounts for only 12% of an adult’s height and 2% of an adult’s weight.
–During the first year after birth, the trunk grows the fastest; in the second year, the legs are the fastest growing part of the body.
Proximodistal principle
From the center outward to the extremities
–The chest and internal organs form before the arms, hands, and fingers.
–During the first year after birth, the trunk is rapidly filling out but the arms remain short and stubby until they undergo their own period of rapid development
Orthogenic principle
Development starts globally and undifferentiated and proceeds toward differentiation and hierarchal integration
–A human starts as a single, undifferentiated cell at conception. As growth proceeds, that single cell becomes billions of highly specialized cells (neurons, blood cells, liver cells, and so on). These differentiated cells become organized, or integrated, into functioning systems such as the brain or the digestive system.
Building Blocks of Growth and Development –
A Lifespan Developmental Model of Health
Includes physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity
Socioeconomic status is particularly important
*
Health is a life-long process.
Health is determined by both genetic and environmental influences.
Health is multi-dimensional
Changes in health involve both gains and losses
Health occurs in a sociohistorical context
–Lower socioeconomic status is associated with poorer health and well-being and shorter life expectancy
Learning Objectives
*
The Infant – Rapid Growth
*
The Infant – Newborn Capabilities
Survival reflexes are adaptive
Examples: breathing, eye-blink, sucking
Primitive reflexes are less adaptive and typically disappear in early infancy
Examples: Babinski reflex, grasping reflex
Persistence of primitive reflexes can suggest neurological problems
*
*
The Infant – Behavioral States
Initial short sleep-wake cycles become more predictable and stable between 3-6 months
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep
Newborns spend 50% of their sleep in REM
Infants older than 6 months spend 25-30% of their sleep in REM
May be useful for regulating sensory stimulation
*
*
The Infant – Locomotor Development
Average age of mastery
Can sit before they can walk
The trunk is controlled before the arms and legs
Gross motor skills are mastered before fine motor skills
*
The Infant – Locomotor Development
An infant will make a global response before a differentiated response
A more mature nervous system, more muscle, and a less top-heavy stature are necessary for walking
*
The Infant – Grasping and Reaching
Adjusted to the characteristics of an object
Thumb and forefinger
*
The Infant – Motor Skills as Dynamic Action Systems
Repetitive movements such as rocking, swaying, bouncing, mouthing objects, banging arms up and down
A “self-organizing” process in which children use the sensory feedback they receive when they try different movements to modify their motor behavior in adaptive ways
*
Rhythmic stereotypies performed before a new motor skill emerges
Dynamic systems theory explains motor developments
–Behaviors that seem to emerge in a moment of time are actually the cumulative effects of motor decisions that the infant makes over a longer time.
–Motor milestones such as crawling and walking are the learned outcomes of a process of interaction with the environment in which infants do the best they can with what they have in order to achieve their goals.
–Individualistic process: neural maturation, physical growth, muscle strength, balance, and other characteristics of the child interact with gravity, floor surfaces, and characteristics of the specific task to influence what children can and cannot learn to do with their bodies.
The Infant – Motor Skills as Dynamic Action Systems
The learning takes into account their biomechanical properties and the characteristics of the environment they must navigate
Nature (the child’s central nervous system) and nurture (sensory and motor experiences) are essential and integral
Action and thought are integrated
*
The Infant – Health and Wellness
Health problems associated with prematurity and low birth weight may persist
Complications of prematurity are second leading cause of death; 1/3 of infant deaths
Congenital malformations, including heart defects, spina bifida, Down syndrome, cleft palate, etc. are leading cause of death
*
The Infant – Health and Wellness
Socioeconomic status is a determinant of access to healthcare and vaccinations
*
Learning Objectives
*
The Child – Steady Growth
*
The Child – Physical Behavior
*
The Child – Physical Behavior
*
The Child – Health and Wellness
Motor vehicle crashes cause the most fatal injuries
Children need a well-balanced diet, but societal influences inadvertently encourage poor eating habits
*
Caption: Among white and black families, parent’s education level influences the extent to which children’s activities are limited by poor or fair health. Children have more limitations when their parents are less educated. This is not true among Hispanic and Asian families.
*
The Child – Health and Wellness: Nutrition
Breakfast programs
School lunches often have higher than recommended levels of fat and sodium and lower than recommended levels of fiber
*
The Child – Health and Wellness: Nutrition
Children should have at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity daily
The average child spends 5-6 hours in sedentary activities each day
Obesity – being 20% or more above the ideal weight for one’s height, age, and sex
*
Caption: Increase in childhood/teen obesity rates over a 30-year period (1976-2006)
*
Learning Objectives
*
The Adolescent – The Growth Spurt
Girls’ peak rates of growth
For height – not quite 12 years of age
For weight – 12.5 years
Boys’ peak rates of growth
For height – 13.4 years of age
For weight – 13.9 years
Girls achieve adult height around 16; boys continue to grow until 18, 19, or 20
*
The Adolescent – Sexual Maturation
Menarche is the most dramatic event in girls’ sexual maturation process
*
*
The Adolescent – Sexual Maturation
The lighter a girl is at birth and the more weight she gains during childhood, the earlier she begins menstruating
The marker of sexual maturation for boys is semenarche, first emission of seminal fluid, around age 13
*
The Adolescent – Sexual Maturation
Genes that trigger production of hormones
Environment
The secular trend
The historical trend in industrialized societies toward earlier maturation and greater body size (caused by improved nutrition and advances in medical care)
For girls, family situation
Presence of an unrelated male in the household, family disruption, harsh mothering
*
Sexual Maturation – Psychological Implications
Individual reactions vary widely
May develop negative views about menstruation and poor body images as a result of weight gain
*
Sexual Maturation – Psychological Implications
Physical distancing is typical
Teens may become more independent and less close to parents
Conflict is likely but about minor issues
Family relations will be influenced by cultural beliefs about the significance of becoming an adult
Parents can facilitate the adjustment to puberty by maintaining close relationships and helping adolescents accept themselves
*
Sexual Maturation –
Early versus Late Development
Advantages – judged to be socially competent, attractive, and self-assured
Disadvantages – increased risk of earlier involvement in substance use and problem behaviors such as bullying, delinquency
More negative effects – more anxious, less sure of themselves, more behavior and adjustment problems, lower achievement test scores
Positive effect – less likely to use alcohol
*
Sexual Maturation –
Early versus Late Development
More disadvantageous – subject of ridicule; higher level of body dissatisfaction
Socialization with older peer group can lead to dating, substance use, sexual activity.
Girls who experience early puberty and early sex report higher levels of depression
Advantage – good school performance
Disadvantage – some anxiety
*
Sexual Maturation –
Early versus Late Development
*
The Adolescent – Physical Behavior
– Girls are more sedentary than boys
Gender-role socialization may be partly responsible
*
The Adolescent – Health and Wellness
*
The Adolescent – Health and Wellness
– Injuries mostly from motor vehicles
– Violence associated with homicides and suicides
*
The Adolescent – Health and Wellness
More likely to smoke and to become addicted to nicotine
More likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors
More likely to get into a car where the driver has been drinking
More likely to get into fights, have academic problems, and engage in illegal behaviors
*
Learning Objectives
*
The Adult
Its organs are functioning efficiently
Considered to be in peak health
*
The Adult – Appearance and Physical Functioning
– Wrinkled skin, gray, thinning hair
– Extra weight or the “middle-aged spread” is associated with slower metabolism and insufficient physical exercise
*
The Adult – Appearance and Physical Functioning
Promoting health foods and beverages
Discouraging consumption of foods/beverages that add calories but not nutrition
Increasing physical activity
*
The Adult – Appearance and Physical Functioning
– Due to sedentary lifestyle
*
The Adult – Appearance and Physical Functioning
Not all older people have poor physiological functioning
Ability to respond to demands for extraordinary output
*
The Adult – Psychological Implications
Prejudice against elderly people
*
The Adult – Psychological Implications
Whites are more likely to report good health than are blacks or Hispanics
Relatively few older adults say they assistance with daily activities
*
The Adult – The Reproductive System
Men’s testosterone levels fluctuate annually and daily
Men with high levels of testosterone tend to be more sexually active and aggressive
Otherwise, no link to men’s moods or behavior
*
The Adult – The Reproductive System
Cyclical changes in women’s hormone levels are associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Bloating, moodiness, breast tenderness, headaches in the days before menstruation
Debate about the validity of PMS
*
Sex hormones have psychological implications.
-Cyclical changes in women’s hormone levels are associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
–Bloating, moodiness, breast tenderness, headaches in the days before menstruation
—Debate about the validity of PMS
—-In research, many women reported little premenstrual mood change/
—-This suggests that expectations and not hormones play a role in many cases of PMS.
—Only a few women—probably fewer than 5%—experience significant PMS.
–Severe PMS may be remedied with antidepressant drugs such as Prozac.
— Milder forms of PMS may be treated with calcium and vitamin D because the low estrogen levels experienced prior to menstruation can interfere with the absorption of these substances by the body.
—Genetic endowment influences the extent to which a woman experiences both premenstrual and menstrual distress. —Social factors also play a role. Learned societal stereotypes of what women “should” experience at different phases of the menstrual cycle appear to influence what women experience and report.
The Adult – Female Menopause
*
The Adult – Female Menopause
*
The Adult – Male Andropause
Low libido
Fatigue and lack of energy
Erection problems
Memory problems
Loss of pubic hair
*
The Adult – Slowing Down
*
The Adult – Disease, Disuse, or Abuse?
Research suggests that aging in the absence of disease has little effect on physical and psychological functioning
Disuse contributes to steeper declines in physical functioning in some adults more than others
Abuse – excessive alcohol, high-fat diet, smoking – contributes to declines in functioning in some people
*
The Adult – Health and Wellness
Arthritis, hypertension
*
The Adult – Health and Wellness
Exercise improves cardiovascular and respiratory functioning, slows bone loss, and strengthens muscles
Exercise benefits mood and can enhance cognitive functioning
Physical activity is associated with a lower incidence of depression among older adults
Regular exercise by older adults is estimated to delay the onset of physical disabilities by up to 7 years
*
The Adult – Health and Wellness
Results in fragile, easily fractured bones
Nearly 1/3 of elderly adults who fracture a hip die within one year
Hip fractures are a leading cause of nursing home admissions
Osteoporosis can be prevented with a diet sufficient in calcium during youth and by weight-bearing exercises such as jogging or walking
*
The Adult – Health and Wellness
The most common joint problem among older adults
Results from gradual deterioration of the cartilage that cushions the bones from rubbing together
Joint disease is deforming, painful, and cause limitations of activities
*
The Adult – Successful Aging
Those with a college degree lived longer and were more likely to remain independent
The risk of death among college-educated nuns was lower at every age
Nuns who were physically and mentally active lived longer and were healthier than less active nuns
Higher language proficiency in adulthood predicted mental functioning in late life
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Cephalocaudal principle
Head-to-tail direction
–The head is far ahead of the rest of the body during the prenatal period and accounts for about 25% of the newborn’s length and 13% of total body weight.
–The head accounts for only 12% of an adult’s height and 2% of an adult’s weight.
–During the first year after birth, the trunk grows the fastest; in the second year, the legs are the fastest growing part of the body.
Proximodistal principle
From the center outward to the extremities
–The chest and internal organs form before the arms, hands, and fingers.
–During the first year after birth, the trunk is rapidly filling out but the arms remain short and stubby until they undergo their own period of rapid development
Orthogenic principle
Development starts globally and undifferentiated and proceeds toward differentiation and hierarchal integration
–A human starts as a single, undifferentiated cell at conception. As growth proceeds, that single cell becomes billions of highly specialized cells (neurons, blood cells, liver cells, and so on). These differentiated cells become organized, or integrated, into functioning systems such as the brain or the digestive system.
*
Health is a life-long process.
Health is determined by both genetic and environmental influences.
Health is multi-dimensional
Changes in health involve both gains and losses
Health occurs in a sociohistorical context
–Lower socioeconomic status is associated with poorer health and well-being and shorter life expectancy
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Rhythmic stereotypies performed before a new motor skill emerges
Dynamic systems theory explains motor developments
–Behaviors that seem to emerge in a moment of time are actually the cumulative effects of motor decisions that the infant makes over a longer time.
–Motor milestones such as crawling and walking are the learned outcomes of a process of interaction with the environment in which infants do the best they can with what they have in order to achieve their goals.
–Individualistic process: neural maturation, physical growth, muscle strength, balance, and other characteristics of the child interact with gravity, floor surfaces, and characteristics of the specific task to influence what children can and cannot learn to do with their bodies.

WhatsApp us