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Health, Illness, and Optimal Aging
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Health, Illness, and Optimal Aging
Biological and Psychosocial Perspectives


July 2003 | 440 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

FROM THE FOREWORD by James Birren:

"Gaining understanding of aging is one of the most complex issues facing twenty-first century science. This book addresses the complexity of the factors that interact and influence the course of our longer life expectancy….How we humans grow old is a product of our genetic background as members of a species and our families. But the genome expresses itself in physical and social environments that modulate the appearance of heredity traits. In a sense aging is an ecological problem in which the dynamics are often difficult to explain….This book brings information from the sciences together in a way that is rarely done…..It provides an integration of knowledge about the dynamics of aging and can promote wisdom about how we can modify the life course to our advantage."

 

In Health, Illness, and Optimal Aging: Biological and Psychosocial Perspectives, Carolyn M. Aldwin and Diane F. Gilmer undertake the challenging task of assembling an objective and holistic picture of human aging. The authors provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary coverage of the physical aspects of aging, including age-related changes and disease-related processes, the demography of the aging population, theories of aging, and the promotion of optimal aging. In addition, the book covers the psychosocial aspects of aging, including mental health, stress and coping, spirituality, and care giving in later years.

 

Features of this book:

  • Integrated. Discusses both the biological aspects and psychosocial factors of aging, thus providing integrated coverage of information from the fields of biology, psychology, and the social sciences. Discusses both the biological aspects and psychosocial factors of aging, thus providing integrated coverage of information from the fields of biology, psychology, and the social sciences.
  • Comprehensive. Covers every part of the aging process including the physical effect on the different systems of the human body, quality of life, social support, and health promotion programs. Covers every part of the aging process including the physical effect on the different systems of the human body, quality of life, social support, and health promotion programs.
  • Pedagogical. Examples in each chapter enhance students' understanding of real-life situations, and methodological issues help students become more critical consumers of research and data.Examples in each chapter enhance students' understanding of real-life situations, and methodological issues help students become more critical consumers of research and data. Discusses both the biological aspects and psychosocial factors of aging, thus providing integrated coverage of information from the fields of biology, psychology, and the social sciences. Covers every part of the aging process including the physical effect on the different systems of the human body, quality of life, social support, and health promotion programs. Examples in each chapter enhance students' understanding of real-life situations, and methodological issues help students become more critical consumers of research and data.
  • Discusses both the biological aspects and psychosocial factors of aging, thus providing integrated coverage of information from the fields of biology, psychology, and the social sciences. Covers every part of the aging process including the physical effect on the different systems of the human body, quality of life, social support, and health promotion programs. Examples in each chapter enhance students' understanding of real-life situations, and methodological issues help students become more critical consumers of research and data.
Discusses both the biological aspects and psychosocial factors of aging, thus providing integrated coverage of information from the fields of biology, psychology, and the social sciences. Covers every part of the aging process including the physical effect on the different systems of the human body, quality of life, social support, and health promotion programs. Examples in each chapter enhance students' understanding of real-life situations, and methodological issues help students become more critical consumers of research and data.

Health, Illness and Optimal Aging is recommended for researchers seeking an overview of health psychology and aging, as well as undergraduate and graduate students taking classes in the social, behavioral, and health sciences. This text is also valuable for practitioners working with the elderly in fields such as nursing, social work, occupational and physical therapy, day-care and nursing home administration, psychology, and rehabilitation.


 
1. Introduction & Basic Concepts
Basic Definitions

 
Organization of the Book

 
 
2. Demography of Aging
Aging in the World

 
Population in the United States

 
Demographic Factors and Rate of Aging

 
 
3. Theories of Aging
Biological Theories of Aging

 
Psychosocial Theories and Aging

 
Psychosocial Factors and Aging

 
 
4. Understanding Change in Aging Research
Basic Definitions

 
Age-Related Designs

 
Statistics for Assessing Change

 
Statistics That Predict Change

 
 
5. Aging of the Skin and Musculoskeletal System
The Skin

 
Musculoskeletal System

 
 
6. Aging of the Internal Organ Systems
Cardiovascular System

 
Respiratory System

 
Gastrointestinal System

 
Renal/Urinary System

 
 
7. Aging and the Regulatory Systems
Sensory Systems

 
Nervous System

 
Endocrine System

 
Immune System

 
 
8. Functional Health, Health Promotion, and Quality of Life
Functional Health

 
Health Promotion in Older Adults

 
Quality of Life

 
 
9. Interface Between Physical and Mental Health
Personality Processes and Disease

 
Alcohol and Aging

 
Differentiating Mental and Physical Health Problems

 
 
10. Stress, Coping, and Health
Stress

 
Coping with Stress

 
 
11. Social Support, Health, and Aging
Characteristics of the Social Support Network

 
Social Support, Morbidity, and Mortality

 
Caregiving

 
 
12. What is Optimal Aging
Models of Optimal Aging

 
Wisdom and Optimal Aging

 
Religiosity, Spirituality, and Optimal Aging

 
Ars Moriendi - The Art of Dying

 
 
References
 
Author Index
 
Subject Index

"Gaining understanding of aging is one of the most complex issues facing twenty-first century science. This book addresses the complexity of the factors that interact and influence the course of our longer life expectancy….How we humans grow old is a product of our genetic background as members of a species and our families. But the genome expresses itself in physical and social environments that modulate the appearance of heredity traits. In a sense aging is an ecological problem in which the dynamics are often difficult to explain….This book brings information from the sciences together in a way that is rarely done…..It provides an integration of knowledge about the dynamics of aging and can promote wisdom about how we can modify the life course to our advantage."

James Birren
From the Foreward
Key features
  • A comprehensive approach, with coverage of psychosocial factors that affect physical health in addition to biological aspects of aging, thus providing integrated coverage of information from the fields of biology, psychology, and the social sciences.
  • Coverage of issues in healthcare systems.
  • Case studies in each chapter to augment student understanding with real-life examples.
  • Discussions of methodological issues in some of the research presented to help students become more critical consumers of research and data.

For instructors

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