Middle Adulthood (Ch. 15/16) Flashcards
the climacteric
midlife transition (when fertility declines)
men: reproductive capacity diminishes
women: reproductive capacity comes to an end
our culture has viewed menopause as a ________ rather than a ________
disease; natural process
menopause
when ovulation/period comes to a stop
three stages:
perimenopausal, menopause, postmenopausal (don’t have period for a year, ovulation becomes sporadic)
signs of menopause
cessation of periods/sporadic ovulation
hot flashes
- racing heart, flushed face, similar symptoms of a panic attack/loss of control
vaginal changes
- thinning of vaginal wall and dryness, sex can become painful
HRT and controversy
hormone replacement therapy
solution to menopause/its symptoms, marketed as fountain of youth
developed it from pregnant horse urine
advantages to HRT
short term management of severe discomfort
may reduce risk of osteoporosis (lose of bone density)
may reduce risk of colon cancer
disadvantages of HRT
increase risk of:
- endometrial (uterus lining) cancer
- breast cancer
- heart disease (thought to reduce this before 2003)
- stroke (thought to reduce this before 2003)
- dementia (thought to reduce this before 2003)
HRT is still used for ________, but avoid use for women with _______
hot flashes w/ women @ risk for osteoporosis; history of breast cancer/women over 60 yrs of age
when to get first mammogram?
low risk: mid 40’s
high risk: 40
1:___ women get breast cancer
8
what vaccination is decreasing the need for the pap test/annual screening/prevalence for cervical cancer
HPV
what age do men see a decrease in quantity of sperm/semen
40
viagra/cialis
v: produced accidentally but then largely marketed, opened up conversation about this problem
c: insurance paid for this but not BC, caused uproar
both usually have no/less severe side effects
how to prevent ED for men
stop smoking/limit alcohol
see doctor regularly
exercise regularly
take steps to reduce stress
get help for anxiety, depression, etc.
who believed in a mid-life crisis and who didn’t? what idea does research support?
did: levinson
didn’t: vaillant
research supports vaillant, thought to be a metamorphosis not crisis
levinson’s seasons of life
coincided with erikson’s stages
importance of mentorship
showed men settle into adult roles faster than women
vaillant’s adaption to life
built around erikson as well
- intimacy - 20’s
- career - 30’s
- generative/contributing to families - 40’s
- keepers of meaning/traditions - 50’s and 60’s
- spiritual and reflective - 70’s
(t/f): sex is not important in the lives of the elderly
false
how does aging affect sexuality?
men: ED
women: menopause
both: chronic pain and other body images
______% of older adults are sexually active and experience a ______ satisfaction with sexual activity
70-80; higher
women prefer ___ partners while men prefer ____ partners
older; younger
older unmarried women are _____ sexually active than older married women
less
cohort effect
there are more older women than men, which impacts sexuality later in life
presbyopia
“old eyes”
middle-aged adults are at an increased risk of glaucoma, which is
a disease where poor fluid drainage leads to buildup of pressure within the eye resulting in optic nerve damage
presbycusis
“old hearing”
which gender is more likely to have a decline in hearing first, and why?
men; intense noise in some male-dominated occupations
3 layers of skin
epidermis (outer)
dermis (supportive middle)
hypodermis (fatty later)
what is the term for people who gain weight in middle adulthood?
middle-age spread
where (w/ both genders) do you see more fat in middle adulthood?
men - back and upper abs
women - waist and upper arms
what causes middle aged adults to start to become shorter?
loss of bone strength = disks in spinal column to collapse
what race is more welcoming of menopause and seem to experience less moodiness and irritability during this tranisition?
african-american women
what was different about the Okinawan people before WWII that caused them to have higher lifespans?
their restrictive diet!
what types of episodes are seen to rise during menopause?
depressive
hormone therapy is basically ________, with two types:
low daily doses of estrogen; estrogen alone (ERT) and estrogen + progesterone (HRT)
difference between ERT and HRT
HRT is known to lessen risk (in comparison) of endometrium cancer
what generation seems to be more accepting of menopause?
baby-boom
Yucatan women’s view on menopause
free from childbearing, describe it as “being happy” and “free like a young girl again”
what diminishes in midlife due to physical changes of the climacteric
the intensity of sexual response
highest percentage of cancers in men and women with high SES
men: prostate
women: breast
highest percentage of cancers in men and women with low SES
both: lung and stomach
how do people consider to be “cured” of cancer?
free of the disease for 5 years or longer
what gender is more likely to be at risk for osteoporosis?
women
type A behavior pattern
extreme competitiveness, hostility, ambition, etc.
twice as likely to develop heart disease
expressed hostility predicts…
greater chances for heart disease
what three personal qualities create hardiness (helps with stress management)
control
commitment
challenge
when looking at verbal ability scores, what type of study proved to be stable and what study declined?
stable: longitudinal
decline: cross-sectional
top 3 life regrets people have
romance
family
education
crystallized vs fluid intelligence
c- depends on accumulated knowledge and experience
f- depends on more basic information-processing skills
what is a vital source of resilience?
having to grapple with occasional adverse life events
what does modest lifetime adversity predict in french adults?
reduced:
overall distress
functional impairment
PTSD
greater life satisfaction
4 tasks each adult needs to confront according to levinson
young-old
destruction-creation
masculinity-femininity
engagement-separateness
vaillants adaption to life according to erikson
concerned with passing the torch
what factors promote well-being in midlife?
good health and exercise
sense of control and personal life investment
positive social relationships
a good marriage
mastery of multiple roles
feminization of poverty
a trend in which women who support themselves or their families have become the majority of the adult population living in poverty
kinkeeper
gathering the family for celebrations and making sure everyone stays in touch
skipped generation families
when grandparents live with grandkids but without their parents
most find it rewarding
