Lifespan Development: Middle Adulthood

Physical Development

Prof Dabie Nabuzoka, PhD

University of Zambia
[email protected]
 Changing Midlife
Boundaries of middle age are being pushed
upward
- More people lead healthier lifestyles;
medical discoveries are holding off the aging
process
- Middle age is starting later and lasting
longer
- Midlife serves as an important preparation
for late adulthood

Changing Midlife

While life expectancy may

be different in countries
like Zambia, an increasing
percentage of the
population in industrialized
countries is made up of
middle-aged and older
adults
- “Rectangularization” of
the age distribution
Physical and Cognitive Development in
Middle Adulthood
 40-65 years of age
 Adults during this phase become increasingly aware
of the gradual change in their bodies
 Some changes naturally occurring due to the aging
process
 Other changes due to the result of lifestyle choices:
 Diet

 Exercise

 Smoking

 Alcohol use

 Drug abuse
 Physical Changes
Physical Changes: Sarcopenia: age-related loss of muscle
 Usually gradual; aging rates vary mass and strength, specially common in
 Wrinkling and sagging of skin, age the back and legs -- exercise can
spots, thinning gray hair, thicker reduce these declines
brittle nails, yellowing of teeth
Cushions for bone movement become
Height tends to shrink in middle
less efficient, often leading to joint
age, due to bone loss in the stiffness and difficulty in movement
vertebrae
Many gain weight, which is a Progressive bone loss
critical health problem in middle
adulthood
Height, Weight and Strength
 Age 20 = Maximum height; Age 55 = “settling”
 Approximately age 55 – bones attached to the
spinal column become less dense
 Loss of height very slow
 Men – average of a 1-in decline over the rest
of the life span
 Women – average of a 2-in decline
 Greater decline in women since they are more
prone to osteoporosis – a condition in which
the bones become brittle, fragile, and thin.
This is often caused by a lack of calcium in the
diet.
Height, Weight and Strength
 Percentage of body fat tends to grow, even
for those who have been slim all their lives
 Due to both decline in height and lifestyle
choices
 Strength begins to decline also
 By age 60, typical adult has lost 10% of their
strength
 Those who exercise regularly are likely to feel
stronger
 Physical Changes

Ability to focus and maintain

an image declines between
40–59 years
 Difficulty viewing close objects
 Reduced blood supply
decreases visual field
Hearing can start to decline
by age 40
 Hearing loss occurs in up to
50% of individuals over the age
of 50
 High-pitched sounds are
typically lost first
Physical Changes
 Blood pressure typically rises in the 40’s and
50’s
 At menopause, a woman’s blood pressure
rises sharply, remaining higher than that
of men into the later years
 Metabolic Syndrome: a condition characterized
by hypertension, obesity, and insulin resistance
 Exercise, weight control, and a diet rich in
fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help to
reduce many cardiovascular problems
 Health and Disease

Frequency of accidents declines

Individuals are less susceptible to colds
and allergies
Stress is a key factor in disease,
especially if cumulative
Immune system functioning decreases
with normal aging
Link between stress and cardiovascular
disease can be indirect
 Stress can lead to unhealthy lifestyle choices
 Chronic emotional stress is associated with
Ni-Hon-San Study high blood pressure, heart disease, and early
death
Culture plays an important role in
coronary disease
 Immigration modifies healthy practices even as
genetic predispositions remain constant
Sexuality

Climacteric: the midlife transition in

which fertility declines
Menopause: time in middle age (late
40’s to early 50’s) when a woman’s
menstrual periods completely cease
 Perimenopause: transitional period; often
takes up to 10 years
 Heredity and experience influence the
onset of menopause
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
is controversial because it has been
linked to increased risk of stroke,
dementia, and cancer
FEMALE CLIMACTERIC

 Starting about age 45, women enter a period

known as the FEMALE CLIMACTERIC, the
transition from being able to bear children to
being unable to do so.
 This period lasts about 15 to 20 years.
 The most notable sign is MENOPAUSE, the cessation
of menstruation.
 The process may begin as early as age 40 or as late
as age 60.
 The production of estrogen and progesterone drop
 Symptoms such as "hot flashes," headaches, feeling dizzy,
heart palpitations, and aching joints are common during
menopause.
 Half of women report no symptoms at all.
Side effects
 It was thought that about 10 percent of
women had psychological problems
associated with menopause.
 Depression
 Anxiety
 crying spells
 lack of concentration
 irritability
MALE CLIMACTERIC
 Men experience some changes during middle
age that are collectively referred to as the MALE
CLIMACTERIC, the period of physical and
psychological change relating to the male
reproductive system that occurs during late
middle age.
 The most common is the enlargement of the prostate
gland.
 By age 40, 10 percent of men have enlarged prostates.
 Symptoms are problems with urination, including
difficulty starting to urinate and frequent need to
urinate during the night.
 Men still produce sperm and can father children
through middle age.
Coronary Heart Disease
 Linking Health and Personality
 More men die in middle age of diseases of the heart
and circulatory system than any other cause.
 Both genetic and experiential characteristics are
involved
 Heart disease runs in families.
 Men are more likely to suffer than women, and risks increase
with age.
 There are several environmental and behavioral
factors.
 cigarette smoking
 high fat and cholesterol in diet
 lack of physical exercise
Cancer
 Cancer is the second leading cause of death in middle age.
 Many forms of cancer respond well to treatment.
 40 percent are still alive 5 years after diagnosis.
 Cancer is associated with several risk factors.
 Genetics (family history of cancer) raises the risk.
 Poor nutrition, smoking, alcohol use, exposure to sunlight, exposure to
radiation, and exposure to occupational hazards such as certain
chemicals raise the risk
 Treatment of cancer can take a variety of forms.
 Radiation therapy involves the use of radiation to destroy a tumor.
 Chemotherapy involves the controlled ingestion of toxic substances
meant to poison the tumor.
 Surgery may be used to remove the tumor.
 Early diagnosis is crucial.
 Mammography, a weak X-ray, is used to detect breast cancer.
 Women over 50 should routinely have one.
 Younger women have denser breasts and the problem of false positives
increases.
Psychological factors
Increasing evidence suggests that cancer is also related to
psychological factors:
 The death rate of women with breast cancer was much
lower for those who had a "fighting spirit" or those who
denied they had the disease.
 People with close family ties are less likely to develop
cancer
 Cancer patients who are habitually optimistic report less
physical and psychological distress.
 Participating in group therapy reduces anxiety and pain
and increases survival rates.
 A positive psychological outlook may be related to a
tendency to adhere to a strict treatment regimen.
 A positive psychological outlook may boost the body's
immune system
 Cognitive Development
Crystallized Intelligence: an individual’s
accumulated information and verbal skills
 Continues to increase in middle
adulthood
Fluid Intelligence: the ability to reason
abstractly
 May begin to decline in middle
adulthood
Some cognitive functions peak during
middle adulthood, while others decline
 Depends on how studies are conducted
 Cross-sectional studies show more decline than
longitudinal studies
Starting in late middle age, more time is
needed to learn new information
 Linked to changes in working memory
Readings
Berk, L. (2004). Development through the life span.
Allyn and Bacon
Hurlock, E.B. (2006). Developmental Psychology:
A Lifespan Approach. New York: McGraw-Hill
Kail, R. & Cavanaugh, R. (2010). Human
Development: A Lifespan View (5th Edn)
