Foundations Exam 3: Adult Growth, Development, and Health Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering young adult, middle adult, and older adult developmental tasks, psychosocial stages, physiological changes, and common health concerns.

Emotional intimacy

A form of intimacy that includes trust, affection, and self-disclosure beyond physical connection.

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Erikson's young-adult psychosocial stage, wherein achieving true intimacy requires trust, reciprocity, and vulnerability, while failing to do so leads to social isolation.

Empty nest syndrome

The emotional experience, which may involve relief or sadness, that occurs when children move out of the family home.

Sandwich generation

A term describing adults who are concurrently caring for their own children and their aging parents.

Generativity vs. Stagnation

Erikson's middle-adult psychosocial stage focused on contributing to the next generation versus self-absorption.

Extreme sports enthusiasts

Thrill seekers, often described as young males ages $24\text{--}34$, who participate in high-risk activities such as downhill ski racing and mountain climbing in bad weather.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)

A degenerative brain condition associated with repeated head injury, memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, and depression.

Isolation

A social state that may result when an individual is unsure of identity, struggles with trust, and avoids intimate relationships.

Colorectal cancer

A disease associated with excess body weight, high intake of processed meat and alcohol, low fiber intake, and a sedentary lifestyle, presenting with abdominal pain, bloody stools, and stool changes.

Osteopenia

Subnormal bone demineralization characterized by fragile bones and an increased risk of fractures.

Osteoporosis

A condition characterized by abnormal bone loss.

Vitamin D

A vitamin that promotes calcium absorption and helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis when taken together with calcium.

Erectile dysfunction

A condition in aging men that can be treated with medications, therapy, or assistive devices.

Menopause

A biological transition in middle-aged women involving the cessation of monthly menstrual cycles, decreased estrogen production, and symptoms such as mood changes and fatigue.

Kyphosis

An abnormal posterior angulation of the spine observed in middle adulthood.

Osteoarthritis

Degenerative joint disease.

Postoperative cognitive disorder

A condition in older adults characterized by symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, blurred vision, and hallucinations following surgery.

Polypharmacy

An emphasized medication-safety concern in older adults involving the concurrent use of multiple medications.

"Aging = illness"

A misconception assuming that poor health, disability, and cognitive decline are inevitable consequences of growing older.

Basal metabolic rate (BMR)

The rate of energy expenditure at rest; its decrease in older adults explains why they may require fewer calories.

Presbyopia

Age-related farsightedness resulting from changes in the eye.

Delirium

Acute, fluctuating, and often reversible confusion triggered by illness, medications, or acute infection.

Dementia

Progressive, pathological cognitive decline, exemplified by conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

Presbycusis

High-frequency sensorineural hearing loss associated with normal aging.

Cognitive stimulation / building cognitive reserve

An intervention utilizing activities like reading, solving puzzles, learning, and social engagement to maintain cognitive health in older adults.

Gig economy

An employment model offering increased scheduling flexibility and higher wages, but lacking health-care benefits, paid time off, and long-term job security.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome

The condition identified as the most common cause of infertility among young adults.

Gingivitis

A common cause of tooth loss that is critical to overall health and linked to systemic conditions including diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and stroke.

Folic acid supplement

A dietary supplement taken during the reproductive years to prevent neural tube defects.