5.4 The Adolescent

5.4 The Adolescent

1. The Growth Spurt

   • Triggered by increase in growth hormones throughout body
     • Peak: girls (12), boys (13.4) years
     • Muscles develop
       • Boys, greater muscle mass than girls
       • Body weight increases but distributed differently btwn sexes

2. Sexual Maturation

   • Adrenarche
     • circulation of adrenal hormones
     • sexual characteristics: underarm and pubic hair
   • Gonadal Hormones
     • Primary responsible for sexual maturity and development of 2ndary sexual characteristics
       • Girls: Menarche
         • 1st menstruation
         • Lighter BW leads to more weight gained and earlier menarche
         • No ovulation until menarche
       • Boys: Semenarche
         • 1st ejaculation  
         • No viable sperm until semenarche
         • Facial Hair
         • Voice Cracking
   • Tanner Scale
     • measures progression through puberty and attainment of sexual maturity
   • Occurs when hypothalamus stimulates endocrine system activity
     • B + G have similar levels of both sex hormones during childhood
       • After sexual maturation, males and females have larger quantities of respective sex hormones
   • Environment has role
     • Secular trend
       • hisotircal trend in industrialized societies toward earlier maturation and greater body size
       • Better nutrition & medicare
       • Young girls living with unrelated males with mothers had stressful relationships with stepfathers or boyfriends experience earlier sexual maturity
         • Stress : environmental factor hastening maturation
   • Psychological Implications
     • Girls
       • Concerned about appearance and others' responses
       • Cultural views about menstruation often -
         • Girls internalize - views
     • Boys
       • More likely to welcome weight gain and voice changes
         • More + to semenarche than girls to menarche
       • May be too preoccupied with athletic prowess
       • Constitutional Growth Delay
         • small for age and late entering puberty, but growing at a normal/near normal pace
         • Small size --> younger and less mature perception
     • Adolescents may distance themselves from parents
       • More independence
       • Becomes warmer after puberty is finished
   • Early v/s Late Development
     • Girls
       • Early
         • Teasing; higher levels of dissatisfaction
           • Higher depression levels
             • Don't catch up with school work
         • Assoc. w/ older group
           • Drinking, smoking, sex at earlier age
           • May have lasting consequences
       • Late
         • Anxiety
         • Outperform others
     • Boys
       • Early
         • Substance abuse, bullying, aggression
       • Late
         • Behavior and adjustment problems
           • Score lower than others
             • Less likely to drink
     • Differences typically fade w/ time

3. Physical Behavior

   • Girls are more sedentary than boys
     • Boy's musculature is adv.
     • Gender Role Socialization
       • Girls encouraged to be more feminine

4. Health and Wellness

   • Obesity rates high
     • Product of nature and nurture
       • Obese parents purchase cheap unhealthy food; economically disadvantaged
       • Overweight teens comfortable hanging out with overweight peers
       • Overweight adolescents have greater risk of health problems later on
   • Diabetes rates increased
   • Alcohol
     • More likely to smoke cigarettes and bcome addicted
     • More likely to engage in risky sexual behavior
     • More likely to DUI
     • More likely to get into physical fights