Chapter 8- Adolescents, Young Adults, and Adults
Adults ages 25-64
- Represent more than half of U.S. population. - Subdivided into 2 groups: 25 to 44 & 45-64
Health Behaviors of College students:
- Unintentional injuries: the use of alcohol, both by injured individual or a person with whom the individual is with at the time of injury in a common cause of unintentional injuries among adolescents and young adults. *Have been the leading cause of death for young adults through the past 50 years. - Violence - Tobacco Use - Alcohol and other drugs - Sexual behaviors(unintended pregnancies and STDs)
Health Behaviors of High school Students
-Unintentional Injuries: Seat belt use, bicycle helmet use, motorcycle helmet use, riding with intoxicated driver, drinking and driving - Violence: carrying a weapon, engaging in a physical fight, engaging in dating violence, forced to have sexual intercourse, school-related violence-bullying, thoughts of suicide, attempted suicides. - Tobacco use: - Alcohol and other drugs: drank alcohol becfore the age of 13: 1/6 (17.2%) marijuana: 21.7%, alcohol use and abuse continue to be major problems for adolescents particularly among high school dropouts. - Sexual Behaviors (unintended pregnancies and STDS): 1/3 (41.2%) of high schoolers engaged in sexual intercourse. - Physical activity & Sedentary behaviors: in 2015, nearly half (48.6%) of students had not been active for at least 60 mins per day. - Overweight & Weight control: one quarter of high school students were obese (13.9%) or overweight (16.8%), while 31.5% described themselves as slightly overweight. 1/2 of students were trying to lose weight (45.6%)
What are the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRSSB) and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), and what type of data do they generate?
In 1990, the CDC initiated the YRBSS to better track selected health behaviors among young people. It includes a national school based survey, as well as state, territorial, tribal, and district surveys. In 1991, there was the first school based survey. This survey was conducted biennially during odd numbered years among national probability samples of 9th to 12th grade students from private and public highs schools. As with other age groups the National Center for health Statistics collects self-reported behavior risk data on adults via the BRFSS. One limitation from this system in that they are collected, and usually reported on all adults older than 18 years of age; the data is not broken down into age groups.
What are the leading causes of death for adolescents and young adults, and for adults?
Leading cause of death for 5-14 age group: Unintentional injuries, Malignant neoplasms (cancer), Suicide Unintentional injuries are the leading causes of death for young people making up 46.5% of the age group. The most common is motor vehicle crashes, and in more than half of all fatal crashes, alcohol was involved. For adults 25-24 unintentional injury is the leading cause of death; same as 35-44 years old. For 45-54 year olds and 55-64 year olds, noncommunicable diseases with heart disease are the leading causes of death.
Hypercholesterolemia
the term used for high levels of cholesterol in the blood.
Community health strategies for adults
Role of individual behavior, social factors, environmental factors, and previous influences on their health across lifespan. Primary- exercise and nutrition programs Secondary- self and clinical screening to identify and control diseases Tertiary- medication compliance
Protective Factors
factor that increases an individual's ability to avoid risks or hazards, and promotes social & emotional competence to thrive in all aspects of life. -These factors also increase an individual's ability to avoid risks or hazards, promotes social and emotional competence and thrive in all aspects of the life, now and in the future. EX: school connectedness/ engagement, community service
Community health strategies
- 4 Main factors affecting community health in age groups are social and cultural factors and community organizing. 1. Physical Factors 2. Community Organizing 3. Individual Behavior 4. Social & Cultural factors - Alcohol use is a main problem
What are the behaviors that put each of these cohorts-adolescences, college students, and adults- at greatest risk, and how does a person's environment impact these behaviors?
- Adolescents: The use of tobacco products represents one of the most high widepsread, high risk health behaviors for this group. In 2009, approximately 1/5 of high schools students were current smokers. This leads to greater risk of disease later in life. -College Students: Alcohol consumption, especially binge drinking is the riskiest behaviors college students participate in. Surveys show that 69% of college students drank alcohol in the 30 days preceding this survey. -Adults: The behavior that puts adults most at risk is chronic disease stemming from poor health behavior and poor lifestyle choices made form earlier years of life. Smoking, lack of exercise, cancers, stroke, and diabetes.
Mortality of Adults
- Life expectancy: 75-80 years. *most americans can expect to live beyond their 65th birthday. -Die mainly from chronic diseases -Associated with unhealthy behaviors and poor lifestyle choices -Lifestyle improvement and public health advances have led to decline in death rate for adults. CANCER is the #1 cause of death in males ages (45-54) prostate, lung, colorectal and females (55-64) breast, lung , colorectal Ages 25-34 years leading causes of death: unintentional injuries, cancer, heart disease, suicide cancer and heart disease are the first and second cause of death for all 3 groups mentioned. Cardiovascular diseases: Age adjusted mortality rates dropped over past 60 years. - mainly due to public health efforts related to smoking cessation, increased physical activity, and nutrition Health Behaviors: -Risk factors for chronic disease: most significant for adults- smoking, lack of exercise, BMI, alcohol -Awareness and screening of certain conditions: hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol. INTENSITY: cardiovascualr workload measured by heart rate. Mass Body Index (BMI); the ratio of weight (in kg) to height( in meters squared)
Adolescents and Young Adults
- Represent the future of the nation - difficult stage of life; period of transition from childhood to adulthood -increased freedom and access to health-compromising substances and experiences- like alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, sexual risk taking - opportunities for health-enhancing experiences like regularly scheduled exercise, healthful diets, and opportunities to engage in behaviors and experiences that benefit their community. - complete physical growth; experience significant life changes -Many health beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors are adopted and challenged. 4 major areas stand out: 1. Mortality 2. Morbidity from specific infectious diseases 3. Health behavior and lifestyle 4. Protective Factors
Mortality of Adolescents
-Decline in death rates over past several decades; mostly due to advances in medicine and to injury and disease prevention. - Male mortality rate is higher than female. - Most threats stem from behavior rather than disease. - Unintentional injuries (41%), Homicide (17%), suicide (15%) - Significant racial disparities among race and leading cause of death.
Why are the number of adolescents and young adults, living arrangements, and employment status, such key demographic characteristics of young people in regard to community health? Briefly summarize the data available on these characteristics.
-# of adolescents- the number of young people in the US has remained constant since it's peak in 1979. It is important because it will continue to rise in the future and as it rises it will become more diverse. This is important because of the health disparities already present need to be addressed for a racial diverse future. 60% white non hispanic will decrease 44% by 2050. -Living Arrangments: Due to the increasing divorce rate, the number of children and adolescents living in a single-parent household has dramatically increased in the past couple decades. This is important because it does not only affect children emotionally, but also economically. Single parent households experience more severe economic disadvantages that can adversely affect health. 1/3 of children live in single parent families as oppose to 1/10 in 1970. -Employment Status: This is important because employment is directly related to health insurance and health care. Theyouth makes up 14% of the workforce.
4 Variable that are most important to community health:
1.) Number of young people - in 2010, over 1/5 of population - in 2012, ~54% of adolescents were non-hispanic white 2.) Living Arrangements: -in 2012, > 1/4 lived in single-parent families - Variations by race and ethnicity - Children living in single-parent families more likely to experience economic disadvantages, as well as negative impacts on their emotional, cognitive, and social well-being 3.) Employment Status: - Participation in labor force has remained fairly constant in recent decades 4.) Health Care Access: - Employment status has impact on access to health insurance, healthcare.
How would you summarize the health profile of the two cohorts (Adolescents and young adults and adults) presented in this chapter?
Adolescents and Young Adults: The health profile of young people in America is characterized by mortality and morbidity from specific diseases, and health behaviors and lifestyle choices. Much of the physical threats to young adults stems from their behavior rather than disease. 3/4 of all mortality can be contributed to unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide. STDS, such as HIV, HPV, chlamydia, and gonorrhea, majorly cause diseases that cause considerable morbidity in young adults. Adults: The health profile of this age group of adults is characterized primarily by mortality from chronic diseases stemming from poor health behavior and poor lifestyle choices made during the earlier years of life. Even though for 25-34 year olds unintentional injuries are still a predominant in mortallity, the majority of adults' mortality is based on non communicable diseases. Heart disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease are some of the preventable diseases that adults deal with because of poor lifestyle and behavior choices throughout their life.
What ages are included in the following 2 age groups: adolescents, and young adults, and adults? Where the ages of the 2 subgroups of adults?
Adolescents: 10-19 Young Adults: 10-24 (20-24) Adults: 25-64
Morbidity adolescents/young adults
Communicable diseases: -Due to medical advances and knowledge regarding immunizations, certain communicable diseases such as, the Measles immunizations have significantly reduced or nearly been eradicated. - STDs: this age group acquires nearly half of all new STDs in the U.S. - Effects can last a lifetime - Chlamydia is the most common curable STD among this group.
Why is it important for community and public health workers to be aware of the significant health problems of various age groups in the United States?
Viewing age group profiles enables public health workers to detect the sources of diseases, injury, and death for specific priority populations and to propose programs to reduce those sources. Effective programs aimed at specific population age groups can reduce the risk factors that contribute to disease, injury, and death.
Hypertension
systolic pressure equal to or greater than 140 mm of mercury (HG) and/or diastolic pressure equal to or greater than 90 mmHg for extended periods of time.