Discussion 1|2025

Discussion 1

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What essential elements should be included in a health teaching plan addressing physical, emotional, social, and spiritual challenges in adolescents?

Me reply1 :

Adolescence refers to the period between the ages of 10-24 years when individuals make transitional developments from childhood to adulthood. It is characterized by remarkable physical, intellectual and emotional changes, relationships, expectations and social role changes. These changes are essential in the individual’s development and provide a functional foundation as an adult (Susman, Koch, Maney & Finkelstein, 2020). In this period, the health of the individuals is physically, emotionally, spiritually, socially and cognitively at optimum. It is essential to address these issues through an effective health plan to ensure sustainable developments in adolescents.

The physical health teaching plan should focus on the maturation of organic systems since it is the time of slow metabolism where some organs increase in size. In the emotional and social health, adolescents undergo a series of social and emotional changes as they age. Therefore, the teaching should focus on how they relate with their parents, body image, self-concept, sexuality, dating and the importance of peers (Koch, Maney & Susman, 2020). Spiritually, the focus on health teaching should be based on the development of moral values since a lot of their decisions are emotion-based, which raises concerns on societal standards.

A health teaching on physical, social, emotional and spiritual developments should be sufficient to create resilient among adolescents. Parents and health professionals should support and nurture them to navigate that problematic passage of adolescence to adulthood. Every professional can make a positive impact on them during that period, and they should be taken care of and provided with the necessary resources to meet their needs. They should also be encouraged to cope with their situations and considered worthy.

Professor question:

Greter, that was a thought-provoking post. Thank you for expressing your views so clearly.

Do you think anything would be gained by health care professionals engaging the parents of pre-teens and teens — helping the parents be the role models for their kids — helping them take their parenting roles seriously and arming them with the tools they need?

Reply 2 AureenBottom of Form

Adolescence is the change that occurs from childhood to adulthood. During adolescent years changes in an individual occurs in their physical, emotional, social and spiritual aspects. Adolescence years has 3 stages that starts in early , middle  and lastly adolescent. Most of the psychosocial issues we encounter today, started from poor health promotion teaching during adolescent years. Health teaching is essential during this years as this builds the foundation of the future of our health care. It is during this years that the insights of children matures and therefore become individuals later in life, with their own perspectives. Being healthy is not only characterized by physical wellbeing but as well as emotional , spiritual and social.

Th essential elements of health teaching in adolescents is communication where in it allows for them to feel comfortable and be able to share their thoughts without the fear of judgment. On the physical aspect, the challenge would be interacting with the opposite sex. It is important to discuss with them the importance of precaution before intimacy. They should have awareness on STDs  including AIDS/HIV. It protects themselves and others as well as reducing the rates of acquiring STDs due to lack of awareness. Emotional and social aspects are important due to issues we face in America today in regard to mental health. The society has changed, many children have fear of not being accepted in the society which affects their emotional wellbeing. Building healthy relationship is important especially with parents as they will serve as guide to the children going through this stage. Lastly, spirituality gives a sense of balance, as their spiritual beliefs and moral values will allow them to make right choices. All this I believe can be achieved with open communication.

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Discussion 2

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Discuss  factors that contribute to risk-taking behaviors and situations during adolescence.  What impact might stress play on this age group? Do you see any connection between stress and common adolescent risk factors?  Consider the findings from the 2013 APA report Stress in America on millennials (pages 19-21 of the report).

Reply 1 Elizabeth

Adolescents often believe that they are invincible to disease and injury, which leads to risk-taking behaviors. With an increasing reliance on their peers and decreasing reliance on their parents, if their friends are engaging in risk-taking behaviors, the adolescent will likely jump on board and do the same. They also believe that they are the exception to the rule, and that what may happen to someone else, won’t happen to them.

According to the American Psychological Association (2013), millennials rate a healthy level of stress at a 4/10 but on average rate their own stress at a 5.4, and 39 percent say their stress increased in the last year (p. 19). They also “are most likely to say that they engage in unhealthy behaviors because of stress (p. 20).”

Adolescents have less life experience to draw from; therefore, it stands to reason that the more stressed someone is with less experience and fewer coping skills, they are going to be more likely to engage in poor choices and risk-taking behaviors.

Reply 2 Hannie

Adolescence is usually viewed as a lengthy period of transition whereby the individual goes through major changes that are physical. The individual’s social-emotion changes also take place. It is a stage that is risky for young people since it comes together with challenges that comes as a surprise to young people. Boys and girls go through hormonal changes hence there are mood swings and transformation in behaviors. The adolescence develops their sense of identity which independent from that of their parents and the caregivers. How they relate with their parents, teachers and their peers can have a great impact in their behaviors. Their desire to experience adult behaviors subjects them to the risks that are associated with young people. They usually feel that they are the only people experiencing feelings. As they imagine, their willingness to engage in risky behaviors increases.  The culture and gender is also a factor in their behaviors which in some instances pose them to the risks.

Stress is a major factor when it comes to the changes that young people go through. Due to the strange things that happen in their life, they become stressed up and this may lead to them losing focus in life. At this age, the individuals may lose focus in life especially academically. It is therefore evident that there is a clear connection between stress and adolescent risk factor.