Week 4: Physical health and aging

Question 1

1. the number of chronic diseases __________ with age
2. What is the most common type of chronic disease for people of old age?
3. T/F: more chronic diseases mean functional disabilities and low quality of life

Answer 1

1. increases
2. high blood pressure or hypertension
3. F. Not always because this depends on medical care, education, environment (physical and social)

Question 2

1. What is biological aging?
2. Explain biological aging intrinsically vs extrinsically
3. Chronic diseases, disability and impaired cognitive functions _______ with age

Answer 2

1. progressive decline in physical functions
2. intrinsic = natural wear and tear that is a universal occurrence. It may happen at different speeds.
   extrinsic = environmental factors that depend on lifestyle and contextual factors to decline physical functions
3. increase

Question 3

Explain each:
1. mortality
2. survival
3. morbidity
4. disability

Answer 3

1. mortality = the # of deaths in a population at a given time
2. survival = people who are still alive after an event
3. morbidity = any departure from health; disease/injury
4. disability = reduction in capacity of function

Question 4

1. what are gene-environment interactions?
2. Biology is NOT _________
3. gene-environment interactions are measured from the time of _________ to just before _______

Answer 4

1. interactions between the environment and body from conception to just before death. How your environment affects your genes and vice versa
2. destiny
3. conception, death

Question 5

1. What is the life course theory?
2. What are some examples of risk factors measured in the life course theory?

Answer 5

1. • links adult health with physical or social exposures that act during gestation, childhood, adolescence, early adulthood and across generations.
     - basically explains how physical and social exposures that we are exposed to from birth to death affect our health and the health of those across generations
2. biological changes in gestation, parental social class, education, depression, social networks, workload, job satisfaction, stress etc, social attitudes and beliefs

Question 6

1. What is the critical period model? What are the 3 “critical periods”
2. Give an example of an exposure that would have an effect during a critical period
3. T/F: retirement can have an effect on cognitive function years later, especially among men

Answer 6

1. explains how exposure during a specific period of life can have lasting or lifelong effects.
   The 3 critical periods are 1) fetal, 2) adolescence and 3) early old age (65-75)
2. Ex: exposure to alcohol as a baby can lead to cognitive malfunctions later in life
3. T

Question 7

1. What is the accumulation of risk model?
2. Give an example
3. explain socioeconomic status as a risk factor in the accumulation of risk model. How can we improve socioeconomic status?

Answer 7

1. states that an increase in number or duration of an exposure can cause cumulative damages which can then create higher risk for disease
2. relationship between smoking and lung cancer
3. it is a life course exposure and it is very likely that a poor child will remain poor. Better education in earlier years can improve socioeconomic status

Question 8

All of the life course models are related to _______-________ status

Answer 8

socio-economic

Question 9

1. What is the chain of risk model?
2. Give an example.

Answer 9

1. a sequence of linked exposures that raise disease risk because one bad experience or exposure tends to lead to another and then another. Different types of chains can confer increased or decreased risk.
2. experiences of physical violence at any point of life were associated with mobility decline in old age
   women who gave birth at a young age were likely to be obese and have mobility issues at middle age

Question 10

Health in old age is a function of interrelations between _______, ________ and ______

Answer 10

biology, environment and time

Question 11

What 2 body systems are most modifiable (easier to fix)?

Answer 11

musculoskeletal and senses. These have modifiable fixes like exercise, vision and hearing aids, changing the environment to improve it

Question 12

1. Explain the 4 step path to disability
2. What are functional disabilities?
3. What is the difference between ADL’s and IADL’s

Answer 12

1. 1) unfavourable exposure
   2) impairment
   3) chronic condition
   4) disability
2. limitation in performance of normal daily activities due to illness or injury. The disability affects a person’s everyday life
3. ADL = activities of daily living. Ex: showering, eating, getting in and out of bed, getting dressed, toileting
   IADL = instrumental activities of daily living. Ex: grocery shopping, housework, money management, medicine, getting to places outside, preparing meals, getting around outside

Question 13

Explain the following:
1. SPPB
2. Nagi
3. LLDI

Answer 13

1. SPPB = balance+ gait, speed+ rise from a chair –> how you are able to get out of a chair
2. Nagi = self report of walking, lifting and handling objects
3. LLDI = frequency and limitations of performing social activities with family, travel and going outside

Question 14

1. How can people with disabilities needs be met from an individual level and societal level
2. Prevention for disabilities in old age must be _______, ________ and __________

Answer 14

1. individual = compensations, use of tech, assistive devices
   society = environmental adjustment, policy changes, public health prevention strategies
2. targeted, feasible, accessible

Question 15

1. What is compression of morbidity? Give an example
2. T/F: compression of morbidity describes a different number of morbidity compressed in a shorter time
3. T/F: there is a trend in compression and expansion of morbidity from 1994-2010

Answer 15

1. “Compression” refers to a decrease in the proportion of life spent in a healthy way is compressed due to a chronic illness or disability. if a person’s life expectancy is 80 years but they develop diabetes and congestive heart failure at age 60, that person will spend some 20 years with serious chronic conditions that likely will impact their ability to live independently and enjoy life.
2. F. the same number of morbidity compressed in a shorter time.
3. F. there is no overall trend

Question 16

1. T/F: Successful aging means not experiencing the natural process of aging
2. WHO says successful aging involves higher ______, _______ and _______ functioning
3. A __________ approach is required to achieve successful aging

Answer 16

1. F. it does mean this, but just with a lower change of chronic conditions and disability as well as higher mental, physical and social functioning
2. mental, social and physical functioning
3. multi-disciplinary approach

Question 17

1. T/F: Women have lower rates of chronic illness than men
2. seniors with ______ levels of education and income will have more access to technology

Answer 17

1. F. women have higher rates
2. higher

Question 18

what are the 3 things required for assistive devices to be useful?

Answer 18

1) people have to know about them
2) understand their usefulness
3) be affordable and accessible

Question 19

1. metabolic rate ______ with age
2. What are WHO recommendations to reduce chronic illness
3. ________ can lead to a number of chronic conditions, over-consumption of alcohol and less healthy eating as well as overall lower life satisfaction

Answer 19

1. decreases
2. cut down on salt and processed foods, physical activity, fruits and vegetables, stop smoking
3. stress

Question 20

Explain each:
1. disability free life expectancy
2. dependence free life expectancy
3. health adjusted life expectancy (HALE)

Answer 20

1. disability free life expectancy = the 3 years of life remaining that are free of any disability
2. dependence free life expectancy = # of years remaining that a person will live in a state free of dependence on others for daily tasks
3. health adjusted life expectancy (HALE) = # of years a person can live in good health

Question 21

What are 3 parts to the selective optimization with compensation (SOC) model to optimize aging?

Answer 21

1. select activities that optimize ability
2. know when they can no longer engage in an activity
3. compensate for losses by developing new priorities

Question 22

________ gives people a sense of control over their lives and to have the knowledge to create a healthy lifestyle

Answer 22

education

Question 23

1. what is a sense threshold?
2. Does it increase with age?

Answer 23

1. the point at which a person is able to perceive a stimulus or respond to the external environment
2. Yes because you need more stimulation to be aware of the sensation–> why hearing aids, glasses etc are required