Middle Childhood: Physical Health

Introduction

  • Overall health is strong and robust at this age
  • Percentage of obesity increases at this age compared to early childhood
      * In school-age children may have increased autonomy over food choices , and prefer sweet or fast foods
      * More screen time, insufficient physical activity
      * Genetic variables Has long-term health and psychosocial consequences
  • Has long-term health and psychosocial consequences
      * Diabetes, high cholesterol, cardiovascular
      * Peers, bullying
      * Children vulnerable to messages
  • Some improvement in social policies on healthy eating

Health & Nutrition

  1. Focus on maintaining healthy eating and wellness

   
   1. Need calories for growth , energy

  1. Balance in messages of healthy eating

   
   1. Diet culture pervasive at younger ages, especially as media expands
   2. Themes of acceptance

  1. More time needed for school-age children in physical activity, outdoors

Chronic Illness

  • Chronic illnesses are on the rise
  • Asthma: a chronic lung disease that involves episodes of airflow obstruction.
  • Most common childhood chronic disease.
  • Incidence has steadily increased over the years.
      * Exact causes are unknown, but it is believed that it results from a hypersensitivity to environmental substances that triggers an allergic reaction.
  • Treated with inhalers and medications.
  • Physical activity is a possible protective factor against asthma development.
  • Often monitored in school

Sleep

  • Sleep improves for most children and then declines again as older, adolescents
  • CDC recommends 9-12 hours of sleep
  • Both lack of sleep and poor sleep quality have negative consequences for children.
  • Somatic complaints, poorer school performance, mood disorders, motor skills problems, behavior problems
  • In one study, a pattern of sleep problems over a 4- year period from preschool to school age was associated with a 16-fold increase in the risk of psychosocial symptoms, problems with social interactions, and anxious/depressed mood.
  • Nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting) may still occur. Important to look at underlying causes