LEARNING OUTCOME 1
Compare and contrast the following generational groups: baby boomers,
Generation X, and Generation Y.
Concepts for Lecture
1. Baby boomers (born 1945–1964), Generation X (born 1965–1978),
and Generation Y (born 1979–2000) compose cohorts that share
2. Gen Xers were frequently raised in two–worker households where
3.
Generation Y (or Millennials) have come of age in an increasingly
multicultural America. They are technologically sophisticated (and
dependent), and they enjoy public affirmations of their efforts.
LEARNING OUTCOME 2
Describe the usual physical development occurring during young and middle
adulthood.
Concepts for Lecture
1. Young adults (ages 20 to 40 years) are in the prime physical years.
The musculoskeletal system is well developed and coordinated, ath-
2. Physical changes occurring in middle-aged adults (40 to 65 years)
include changes in the following:
a.
Appearance: hair thins, gray hair appears, skin turgor and moisture
decrease, subcutaneous fat decreases, wrinkling occurs, and fatty tis-
sue is redistributed, resulting in fat deposits in abdominal areas.
f. The gastrointestinal system: gradual decrease in tone of large intes-
tines may predispose to constipation.
C
HAPTER
22
PROMOTING HEALTH IN YOUNG AND
MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS
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• Have the students write a short paper on one
of the generational groups, including the cur-
rent research on the group and the historical,
social, and political context shared by the
group.
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•
Invite a panel of healthy young and middle-aged
adults to discuss the positive aspects of aging.
• Have the class debate the pros and cons of the
recent trend in cosmetic surgery to reverse
some of the physical changes of aging.
CHAPTER 22 / Promoting Health in Young and Middle-Aged Adults 123
g. The urinary system: nephron units are lost and glomerular filtration
rate decreases.
LEARNING OUTCOME 3
Identify characteristic tasks of development during young and middle adult-
hood.
Concepts for Lecture
1. According to Freud’s theory, young adults are in the genital stage, in
2.
According to Erikson, middle-aged adults are in the generativity-versus-
stagnation phase of development. According to Havighurst, middle-aged
adults have the following developmental tasks: achieving adult civic and
LEARNING OUTCOME 4
Explain changes in cognitive development throughout adulthood.
Concepts for Lecture
1. Young adults are able to use formal operations characterized by the
ability to think abstractly and employ logic. Recently researchers
2. The middle–aged adult’s cognitive and intellectual abilities change
very little. Reaction time may diminish during the later part of the
middle years. Memory and problem solving are maintained through
middle adulthood. Learning continues and can be enhanced by in-
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• Invite a panel of clinical specialists and nurse
practitioners who work with adults of various
ages to discuss the benefits and challenges of
working with clients of these ages.
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•
Discuss the influence of genetic, environmental,
and personality factors on how individuals main-
tain mental abilities. Have students provide
additional examples to illustrate this influence.
• Discuss the concept of postformal thought.
Have the students discuss whether this cogni-
tive level is as uncommon as researchers main-
124 CHAPTER 22 / Promoting Health in Young and Middle-Aged Adults
LEARNING OUTCOME 5
Describe moral development according to Kohlberg throughout adulthood.
Concepts for Lecture
1. Young and middle–aged adults who have mastered the previous
stages of Kohlberg’s theory of moral development now enter the
postconventional level. The individual is able to separate self from
age 40.
LEARNING OUTCOME 6
Describe spiritual development according to Fowler throughout adulthood.
Concepts for Lecture
1. According to Fowler, the individual enters the individuating–
reflective period sometime after 18 years of age. The individual fo-
2. Not all adults progress through Fowler’s fifth stage, called the para-
LEARNING OUTCOME 7
Identify selected health risks associated with young and middle-aged adults.
Concepts for Lecture
1. Health problems that occur in young adulthood include injuries, sui-
cide, hypertension, substance abuse (including smoking), sexually
2. Leading causes of death in middle adulthood include injuries (motor
vehicle and occupational accidents), chronic disease such as cancer
(in men, cancer of the lung and bladder; in women, breast cancer fol-
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Review Gilligan’s theory of moral development.
Have the students debate the differences pro-
posed in the development of moral behavior in
men and women.
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Invite a panel of religious and spiritual practi-
tioners to discuss the development of faith in
adults and the influence of faith in the daily lives
of adults.
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Divide the students into groups. Assign each
group a health problem associated with young or
middle-aged adults. Ask each group to develop a
plan to assist the adult to prevent or obtain early
diagnosis and treatment for this problem. Have
groups share their work.
problems associated with young and middle-aged
adults that they have observed in their assigned
clients.
CHAPTER 22 / Promoting Health in Young and Middle-Aged Adults 125
LEARNING OUTCOME 8
Identify developmental assessment guidelines for young and middle-aged
adults.
Concepts for Lecture
1. Developmental assessment guidelines for the young adult:
Physical development:
The young adult should exhibit weight with-
in normal range for age and gender, manifest vital signs within
2. Developmental assessment guidelines for the middle-aged adult:
Physical development:
The middle–aged adult should exhibit
weight, vital signs, and visual and hearing abilities within normal
LEARNING OUTCOME 9
List examples of health promotion topics for young and middle adulthood.
Concepts for Lecture
1. Health promotion topics for the young adult:
•
Health tests and screening:
These include routine physical
examinations, immunizations as recommended, regular dental
assessments, periodic vision and hearing screenings, professional
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Have the students investigate the normal ranges
of weight and vital signs for young and middle-
aged adults.
• Divide students into groups. Have each group
develop criteria for a healthy lifestyle for
young and middle-aged adults.
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Have the students plan and implement a health
fair for young and middle-aged adults in the edu-
cational institution. The fair should include post-
ers, presentations, and literature that address
major health problems of these age groups.
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2. Health promotion topics for the middle-aged adult:
•
Health tests and screening:
The middle-aged adult should have
routine physical examinations; immunizations as recommended;
regular dental assessments; tonometry for signs of glaucoma and