Investing in the Health and Well-Being of Young Adults (2015) / Chapter Skim
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2 Young Adults in the 21st Century
2 Young Adults in the 21st Century
Pages 35-76
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From page 35... ...
Many of the topics summarized in this chapter are discussed in greater depth in subsequent chapters. BASIC PATTERNS OF DEVELOPMENT Biologically and psychologically, young adulthood is fundamentally a period of maturation and change, although the degree of change may seem less striking than the changes that occurred during childhood and adolescence.
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From page 36... ...
. In some ways, the tendency for the developmental change that happens during young adulthood to be gradual instead of dramatic may have led to the devaluation of young adulthood as a critical developmental period, but that developmental change should be not be underestimated.
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From page 37... ...
Discussions recently have emerged of the possibility of a prolonged brain maturational trajectory through young adulthood, as described below. Although the most significant qualitative changes in brain maturation have been found to occur from childhood to adolescence, emerging evidence does suggest that specialization of brain processes continues into the 30s, supporting both cognitive and motivational systems.
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From page 38... ...
. MRI studies that sample a wider age range, however, indicate a prolonged period of gray matter thinning of prefrontal cortex that persists through the third decade of life (Sowell et al., 2003; see also Figure 2-1)
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From page 39... ...
postmortem evidence showing continued loss of synapses in prefrontal cortex into the 30s.
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From page 40... ...
. In parallel with decreases in gray matter in prefrontal and striatal regions are increases in white matter brain connectivity, which supports the ability for prefrontal executive systems to modulate reward and emotional processing.
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From page 41... ...
Brain systems supporting motivational and socioemotional processing are still maturing in young adulthood, influencing a more developed prefrontal executive system capable of more sophisticated and effective planning and resulting in unique influences on decision making, such as adaptive choices or risk-taking behavior. Overactive motivational systems may drive adult-like access to cognitive systems, resulting in planned responses that are driven by short-term rewards.
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From page 42... ...
. Social and behavioral scientists frequently discuss such social functioning in terms of five major role transitions of young adulthood -- leaving home, completing school, entering the workforce, forming a romantic partnership, and transitioning into or moving toward parenthood (Schulenberg and Schoon, 2012; Shanahan, 2000)
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From page 43... ...
. Partnership and parenting are the core of family formation in the United States (see Chapter 3)
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From page 44... ...
. There is also an educational gradient to family formation in young adulthood, with family role transitions becoming less common as 80 70 60 50 Percentage 40 30 20 10 0 Men Women White African LaƟno/a High School College American Graduate Graduate Gender Race/Ethnicity EducaƟon FIGURE 2-2 Percentage of young adults in the United States with at least one family formation behavior by age 25.
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From page 45... ...
. These differences in the magnitude of the age increase in major family role transitions also speak to sequencing, or the growing tendency for transitions to cluster in heterogeneous ways.
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From page 46... ...
. As with family formation, changes have been occurring in the timing and sequencing of the socioeconomic aspects of young adult role transitions.
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From page 47... ...
, at least in part because enrollment rates have risen over time among those with less academic preparation in the K-12 years. As with family role transitions, higher education patterns vary considerably across diverse segments of the population (Brock, 2010)
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From page 48... ...
The sequencing of education and employment in young adulthood also is changing in important ways. A traditional school-work path was college enrollment and graduation in the late teens and early 20s, followed by full-time entry into the labor market in the mid-20s (with some pursuing more education and pushing back full-time employment)
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From page 49... ...
Young adults' successes or failures in education and employment are integrally linked to their health. In general, the more educated a young adult becomes, the healthier she or he will be in adulthood, whereas lower educational attainment and occupational success is associated with poor health status, and involuntary loss of employment can have a negative impact on both physical and behavioral health.
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From page 50... ...
For example, the rising returns to and costs of higher education and the insecurity of the labor market for new workers mean that young people often concentrate on school and work in their late teens and early 20s rather than committing to a partner or starting a family. In this way, the economic changes that shape schooling and work alter age norms about family formation.
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From page 51... ...
According to national data from the Pew Research Center, virtually all young adults use the Internet on a fairly regular basis, and nearly all have cell phones and use social media (Lenhart, 2013)
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From page 52... ...
. At the same time, compared with older adults, they are less likely to participate in work and family roles that serve as strong social controls on risk taking.
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From page 53... ...
TABLE 2-1 Leading Causes of Death in the United States (per 100,000 population) , Ages 12-34 Ages 12-17 Ages 18-25 Ages 26-34 Rank Cause of Death No.
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From page 54... ...
tracked the health and health behavior of adolescents during their transition to young adulthood using National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) data.
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From page 55... ...
Given that young adult health behavior is likely a foundation for lifelong health trajectories, these patterns are one important lens for understanding that young adulthood is a critical developmental period. Health Conditions Because young adults tend to be in better health than older adults, they are often thought to be in good health, but this is not necessarily true.
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From page 56... ...
The majority of young adults' health problems are preventable. The Affordable Care Act and other recent efforts to increase young adult health care coverage at the state level provide opportunities to enhance preventive
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From page 57... ...
. Certain populations of young adults have higher rates of such risky behaviors as unhealthy eating, lack of physical activity, unprotected sexual activity, substance use, and unsafe driving.
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From page 58... ...
Indeed, changes in the experiences of future cohorts of young adults will provide a useful measure of the extent to which coming of age in an increasingly diverse society affects the development of racial and ethnic identity, intergroup relations, and evolving conceptions of national identity. In the meantime, however, many people of color continue to encounter systematic prejudice and discrimination that restrict opportunity and reduce well-being in pervasive ways and that contribute to the disparities in health and well-being of young adults documented throughout this report.
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From page 59... ...
Attention to these findings is intended to achieve progress toward ensuring the following key outcomes for young adults, with a particular focus on those young adults who are economically disadvantaged or otherwise marginalized: • employment, • education, • housing stability, • safety, • health, • healthy relationships and connections to responsible adults, • civic engagement and community involvement, and • effective parenting. 1. Young adulthood is a critical developmental period.
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From page 60... ...
Economic restructuring, advances in information and communication technologies, and changes in the labor market have radically altered the landscape of risk and opportunity in young adulthood. Demands are higher, and there is less latitude for failure.
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From page 61... ...
In addition, rapidly changing laws on same-sex marriage are providing new opportunities for family formation among LGBT young adults. • The high cost of living independently has encouraged many young adults to move back into their parents' home, a pattern well docu mented among the "millennial" generation.2 4. Inequality can be magnified during the young adult years.
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From page 62... ...
People in this age group tend to be highly interested in the broader world, their place in it, and how they can and do make a difference. They are greatly affected by global economic change, tend to be less conflicted than older adults about divisive cultural debates concerning behavioral norms and values, and are early adopters of new technologies -- digital and social media being the most salient current example.
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From page 63... ...
Young adulthood is a critical period for protecting health, not just during the transitional years but over the life course. Despite some positives, however, the dominant pattern among young adults today is declining health, seen most clearly in health behaviors and related health statuses such as the following: • As adolescents age into their early and mid-20s, they are less likely to eat breakfast, exercise, and get regular physical and dental checkups, and more likely to eat fast food, contract sexually trans mitted diseases, smoke cigarettes, use marijuana and hard drugs, and binge drink.
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From page 64... ...
A shrinking number of well-paying jobs for young adults without a college education, the cost of higher education, and the prolonged period of transition to adult roles, exacerbated by economic volatility, pose an underlying threat to young adults' healthy adjustment and functioning. Taking action to improve prospects for social mobility can address the fundamental risks these young people face in modern society, risks that themselves have implications for the overall stability and progress of the nation.
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From page 65... ...
The influence of social media on young adult development and
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From page 66... ...
The Affordable Care Act, as one example, incorporates preventive health services as part of health insurance coverage. Given the act's emphasis on preventive services in such areas as reproductive health, substance abuse, and mental health, which reflect many of the health care needs of young adults, those young adults who enroll can clearly benefit from this newly available care.
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From page 67... ...
Indeed, changes in the experiences of future cohorts of young adults will provide a useful measure of the extent to which coming of age in an increasingly diverse society affects intergroup relations and evolving conceptions of national identity. In sum, healthy, productive, and skilled young adults are critical for the nation's workforce, global competitiveness, public safety, and national security.
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From page 68... ...
2001. Divergent paths: Eco nomic mobility in the new American labor market.
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From page 69... ...
2008. The prefrontal cortex.
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From page 70... ...
2014. Hyperten sion awareness and control among young adults in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.
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2013. Young adults, mobile phones and social media: Technology and the transi tion to adulthood.
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2009. Developmental changes in cognitive control through adolescence.
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2013. Developmental stages and sex differences of white matter and behavioral development through adolescence: A longitu dinal diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
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Presentation at IOM/NRC Workshop on Improving the Health, Safety, and Well-Being of Young Adults: State Policies and Programs and Social Media and Information Technology, Washington, DC. Whitsel, E
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From page 75... ...
adults: Add Health, wave IV. Circulation 125:AP010.
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