Physical development health and social care: Physical Development | Health & Social Care
Physical Development | HHS Office of Population Affairs
More topics on this page
- Unique Issues in Physical Development
- How Parents and Caring Adults Can Support Physical Development
General Physical Changes Adolescents Experience
Although some of the physical changes that happen during adolescence are internal and not visible, others can be seen easily by others. These obvious changes in the body can affect how adults and peers of all sexes view and treat young people.
The changes that occur both inside and outside the body during adolescence happen through a process called “puberty.” This process stems from the release of certain hormones (chemicals) in the brain. These hormones released are the same in all adolescents, but differences in hormone levels lead to different results in males and females. The physical changes in adolescents shift them from their childhood bodies to their adult bodies and give them the ability to get pregnant or cause pregnancy. This ability to get pregnant or cause pregnancy is called “fertility.”
Anyone who looks at an adolescent male and female side by side will see some clear differences. Still, adolescents of both sexes exhibit many changes in common, most notably, growth spurts in height and weight. During these growth spurts, bones and muscles get longer and stronger, which allows adolescents to take on tasks they were likely not able to do as younger children, such as lifting heavy objects and walking, running, or biking long distances. Many young people will reach their full adult height by the end of puberty. Beyond the growth spurts, other physical changes that happen in both males and females include body odor, acne, and more body hair.
As noted above, many of the physical changes in adolescence are related to fertility. Some adolescents may be embarrassed by these changes at first, but they need to know that they happen to everyone. Consider this short list:
Females will see changes in where fat appears on their body.
For example, breasts become fuller and hips grow wider. Females typically experience their first menstruation (or period) during adolescence. Early on, periods can be irregular and affected by illness, stress, and even exercise.
Males’ shoulders become broader, and their muscles get bigger. The penis and testicles also grow, and males will begin to experience erections and ejaculations, both voluntary and involuntary (sometimes happening while asleep). Males’ voices also deepen during this time and may crack during the shift.
Beyond developing fertility, these visible sex-specific changes also let others know that a person is no longer a child. It is important to note that while the physical changes that adolescents experience happen to everyone, the timing and order of these changes will vary from person to person.
Unique Issues in Physical Development
Although the major physical development milestones of adolescence happen to everyone, the timing of these milestones varies a lot, both between and within the sexes.
Some adolescents exhibit physical signs of maturity sooner than their peers, and others exhibit them later. For example, the visible physical changes in males often begin a couple of years after they begin in females. The timing of a female’s first period also varies: girls can start their period as early as 8 and as late as 16.
These differences can be hard for adolescents: they may feel self-conscious, or worry that they don’t fit in if they don’t look like others their age. These variations also can lead to other people treating adolescents in a way that does not match their cognitive or emotional development. For instance, females who develop visible curves or males whose voices change during middle school may be treated more like older teenagers by both their peers and adults, even if they do not have the cognitive or emotional maturity of older teenagers. In contrast, adolescents who exhibit physical changes later than their peers may be treated like younger children, even though they are more mature cognitively and emotionally.
Some research suggests that youth who experience faster physical development are more likely to engage in risk-taking behavior than their peers and that teens who develop more slowly than their peers may be more likely to face bullying.
Many factors can be responsible for differences in the timing and results of adolescents’ physical changes, such as:
Genes. A person’s genetic makeup can affect the timing of puberty and what the changes look like.
Diet/nutrition and exercise before and during adolescence. Overweight females, for example, are more likely to have their first period and experience breast development at younger ages than their peers.
Chronic illnesses. Conditions such as cystic fibrosis, asthma, diabetes, or bowel problems also can contribute to delays in growth and puberty because of nutrient deficiencies, toxin excess, and/or medication side effects.
Substance use. Smoking or using other drugs can harm adolescents’ growth and development.
Smoking can stunt lung growth and make it harder to grow strong bones.1
Development in other areas. Variations in cognitive, emotional, social, and/or moral development also can influence and be influenced by physical changes in adolescence. For instance, those who look different than their peers (e.g., being overweight or underweight) are at a higher risk of being bullied by peers.
How Parents and Caring Adults Can Support Physical Development
Here are some ways that parents and other caring adults can support adolescents through these physical changes:
Let adolescents know that what they are going through is normal. Although “normal” development covers a wide range, even older adolescents (and sometimes, their parents) are concerned with “fitting in.” Remind teens that despite their concerns, their personal developmental path is okay, even if it is different from that of their peers. People develop at different times and not all bodies will look the same even when fully developed.
Variation is not at all unusual.
Encourage adolescents to have a positive view of their bodies. Beyond reassuring that the timing of changes in the body varies from person to person, parents and caring adults can help adolescents appreciate their own bodies and developmental experiences. Reminding teens that they are valued and accepted no matter how they look can help nurture self-respect and self-esteem in adolescents and counter negative body image issues or other anxieties.
Help adolescents eat well. Parents and other adults play a large role in adolescents’ nutrition, by modeling healthy eating, following dietary guidelines, and making sure adolescents have access to healthy foods. Keeping healthy snacks at home and limiting junk food goes a long way to promoting solid nutrition. Consider preparing and sharing meals with your teen to promote healthy eating.
Get active with adolescents. As with healthy eating, parents and caring adults can model physical activity, making it easier for adolescents to avoid becoming “couch potatoes.
” If able, parents can go on walks or bike rides with their adolescent or just toss around a ball. If a teen is competitive or very social, parents can help the teen to sign up for a sport at school or in a community league. For video game fans, parents can select games that involve physical activity, such as Just Dance. The President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition offers additional resources so parents can help teens stay fit and healthy.
Teach adolescents to avoid drugs. It’s important for parents to talk to adolescents about how smoking and other drug use can hurt their health and keep them from growing strong and to lead by example. Check out the National Institute on Drug Abuse website for more information, including videos, games, and blog posts.
Make sure adolescents get enough sleep. Sleep helps adolescents grow and strengthen their bodies and perform better in school, sports, and other activities. Strategies for parents include having a “lights out” rule, limiting the number of electronic devices (e.
g., cell phone, computer) in a teen’s bedroom, and encouraging routines that help adolescents relax at the end of the day, such as reading a book before bed.
Show adolescents how to discuss and maintain their health. Adolescents should receive regular healthcare, including vaccines and preventive care, such as “well visits.” Parents and other adults also can help adolescents by giving them the skills to comfortably and effectively communicate with doctors and other healthcare professionals, as well as time alone with healthcare providers to discuss health concerns in private. This support matters even more for adolescents who have chronic conditions or disabilities.
Adolescent Development Explained Guide
Additional information on adolescent development can be found in the Adolescent Development Explained guide, developed by the Office of Population Affairs.
Becoming an Adult (Adolescent Development Explained Webinar Series)
In this webinar, experts explore how the mind and body change during adolescence.
Watch the recording on YouTube or review the slides.
Footnotes
1 Smokefree.gov. (n.d.). Health effects. https://smokefree.gov/quit-smoking/why-you-should-quit/health-effects back to top
Physical, social, emotional and cognitive development
Adolescent developmental domains are intertwined and strongly influenced by experiences and environments.
© Griffith University
Adolescent developmental domains are intertwined and strongly influenced by experiences and environments.
The developmental changes that typically occur in adolescence have been documented extensively in literature that is widely accessible. Importantly, each area of development is intertwined with the other–physical, social, emotional and cognitive development–along with sociocultural and environmental influences and experiences. A summary of some of the key developmental aspects of adolescence and the nature of these changes follows.
Physical development
In early adolescence, the body undergoes more developmental change than at any other time, apart from birth to two years old. The rate of growth is rapid and uneven, with a different pace and rate of change for each individual. Physical changes include increases in height, weight, and internal organ size as well as changes in skeletal and muscular systems.
Puberty occurs in early adolescence, triggered by the release of hormones which lead to the development of primary sex characteristics (genitalia) and secondary sex characteristics (eg breast development in girls; facial hair in boys). The increased hormone production affects skeletal growth, hair production, and skin changes.
Physical changes are visible to all and highlight the range and pace of change. This sometimes leads to adolescents feeling more or less mature than others. Physical development growth spurts occur about two years earlier in girls than boys.
Adolescent social development is often described as the process of establishing a sense of identity and establishing a role and purpose.
It is an outwards sense of oneself. Body image is a key factor in developing a sense of self and identity, especially for girls, and the family and increasingly peers play an important role assisting and supporting the adolescent to achieve adult roles. Risk-taking is a natural part of the adolescent journey. Social development and emotional development are closely intertwined as young people search for a sense of self and personal identity.
Emotional development
The way a person thinks and feels about themselves and others, their inward thoughts, is key to their emotional development. Developing and demonstrating individual emotional assets such as resilience, self esteem and coping skills is heightened during adolescence because of the rapid changes being experienced. Schools are important sites for social and emotional learning and have developed policies and programs around student wellness, often with a focus on a strengths-based approach.
Cognitive development
Cognition is the process involving thought, rationale and perception.
The physical changes of the brain that occur during adolescence follow typical patterns of cognitive development. They are characterised by the development of higher-level cognitive functioning that aligns with the changes in brain structure and function, particularly in the prefrontal cortex region.
The structural and functional brain changes affect the opportunity for increased memory and processing. They may also contribute to vulnerability, such as risk taking and increased sensitivity to mental illness.
In recent years data from developmental neuroimaging has enabled greater understanding of the changes that occur in the human brain during adolescence. This data points towards a second window of opportunity in brain development. Adolescence is a sensitive brain period, that is a time when brain plasticity is heightened. During this time, there is an opportunity for learning and cognitive growth as the brain adapts in structure and function in response to experiences.
In the next step we will pull together the key developmental aspects of adolescence with a discussion about your own experiences.
Your task
Read Caskey and Anfara’s article, Developmental Characteristics of Young Adolescents.1
- What have you read in this article that might change the way you interact with adolescents in your sphere?
- How will you do things differently bearing in mind the implications for practice?
Share your answers in the comments.
References
-
Caskey M, Anfara VA. Developmental Characteristics of Young Adolescents: Research Summary [Internet]. Westerville OH: Association for Middle Level Education; 2014. Available from: https://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/888/ArticleID/455/Developmental-Characteristics-of-Young-Adolescents.aspx ↩
© Griffith University
2. Development of health care \ ConsultantPlus
2. Development of health care
The tasks of turning Russia into a global leader in the world economy, reaching the level of developed countries in terms of social well-being dictate new requirements for the health care system.
On the one hand, the value of health in the system of society’s priorities is growing, new medical and social technologies are emerging associated with changes in the demographic structure of the population. On the other hand, thanks to the development of medical technologies, the ability to really influence the health of the population is significantly increased, as evidenced by the significant success in the fight against the most life-threatening diseases achieved in developed countries.
The healthcare system still does not provide sufficient state guarantees of medical care, its availability and high quality.
In recent years, the state has made significant investments in health care. However, they did not allow to significantly improve the situation, since they were not accompanied by large-scale and highly effective organizational, financial and economic measures. The lagging of the level of healthcare development from the level of developed countries is much stronger than in many other key sectors of the economy.
Consultant Plus: note.
Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation No. 364 dated April 28, 2011 approved the Concept for the Creation of a Unified State Information System in the Health Sector.
In order to improve the health situation of citizens, it is necessary to ensure a qualitative breakthrough in the healthcare system. The industry needs innovative developments in the field of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases (including rehabilitation), an effective system for the training and retraining of medical personnel, and modern high-tech information systems.
The main goal of the state health policy for the period up to 2020 is to form a system that ensures the availability of medical care and increase the efficiency of medical services, the volume, types and quality of which must correspond to the level of morbidity and the needs of the population, advanced achievements of medical science.
A separate task is the active development of the Russian medical and pharmaceutical industry and the creation of conditions for its transition to an innovative development model, which should raise the level of provision of healthcare organizations and the population with medicines and medical products, including domestic production, to the average European level as per quantitative as well as qualitative indicators.
Implementation of the goals of the health system development involves the solution of the following priority tasks.
The first task is to provide state guarantees for the provision of free medical care to citizens in full, including:
specification of state guarantees in relation to the types, volumes, procedures and conditions for the provision of free medical care;
improvement of the system of standardization in the field of healthcare in order to introduce modern medical technologies for the provision of medical care for the most common diseases and diseases that cause the greatest damage to the health of the population and the social well-being of the country;
planning resources to ensure the implementation of state guarantees.
The second task is to modernize the system of compulsory medical insurance and develop a system of voluntary medical insurance, including:
transition to a single-channel model of financing medical care in the system of compulsory medical insurance, including legislative consolidation of revenue sources and expenditure obligations;
introduction of insurance premiums for compulsory health insurance at a single rate for all employers and individual entrepreneurs;
introduction of the maximum amount of annual earnings on which insurance premiums are calculated;
establishment of uniform requirements for determining the amount of contributions of constituent entities of the Russian Federation for compulsory medical insurance of the non-working population;
creation of an effective system for equalizing the financial support of territorial programs of state guarantees for the provision of free medical care to citizens on the basis of the minimum per capita standard of the territorial program of state guarantees;
increasing the responsibility of health insurance organizations with the introduction of a single-channel financing model for health care organizations participating in compulsory health insurance;
gradual transition to efficient methods of payment for medical care based on reasonable tariffs, depending on the quality of its provision and volume;
establishment of a quality management system for medical care;
formation of a competitive model of compulsory medical insurance with the creation of conditions for the insured to choose an insurer and a medical organization, as well as providing the population with accessible information about the activities of insurers and medical organizations;
creation of conditions for the participation of medical organizations of various organizational and legal forms in compulsory health insurance.
The third task is to increase the efficiency of the medical care organization system, including:
ensuring that effective technologies for providing medical care are available to the population at all its stages;
development of the primary health care system and increasing the role of preventive treatment of persons at risk for socially significant diseases;
improvement of the ambulance service and development of air ambulance with optimization of the terms of its provision and use of effective methods of treatment at the prehospital stage;
optimization of inpatient care provided to the population based on the intensification of bed occupancy, taking into account its profile;
ensuring continuity in the provision of medical care, including rehabilitation methods and sanatorium treatment;
development of the system of maternal and child health protection at all stages of medical care, including improvement of preventive measures in terms of protecting the health of children and adolescents, improvement of medical care in educational institutions;
opening offices of general practitioners and family doctors in rural areas;
development and implementation of measures to reduce the loss of the able-bodied population by reducing mortality from manageable causes;
development of a system for providing medical and social assistance, including assistance provided to the elderly at home, coordination of interaction between the healthcare system and the social protection system, increasing the role and functions of nursing staff in providing medical care to older people;
development of innovative activities of medical and scientific organizations for the development and implementation of effective medical technologies;
meeting the needs of the population in obtaining high-tech medical care on the basis of a state assignment, the financing of which is carried out taking into account all the necessary expenses (at the full rate) for the provision of this type of assistance;
increase in state investments aimed at strengthening the material and technical base of medical organizations to equip them with modern medical and diagnostic medical equipment and technology in accordance with equipment standards that ensure high-quality medical care;
formation of a legal framework that ensures the protection of patients’ rights, and insurance of professional liability of health workers who risk harming their health in the performance of their duties;
expanding the economic independence of medical institutions;
improvement of mechanisms for the participation of state medical institutions subordinate to various federal executive authorities in compulsory health insurance and the implementation of state guarantees;
use of the project method to improve the organization of medical care (implementation of pilot projects in the regions), replication of the accumulated experience of effective transformations in this area;
optimization of the ratio of medical and nursing staff.
The fourth task is to improve the provision of medicines to citizens, including:
increase the availability of medicines for citizens during outpatient treatment based on a combination of state programs for providing medicines and medical insurance to citizens;
provision of a full cycle of production in the territory of the Russian Federation of strategically necessary medicines and medical products;
determination of the list of medicines provided free of charge or with partial payment at the expense of compulsory medical insurance;
Consultant Plus: note.
On state regulation of prices for medicines included in the list of vital and essential medicines, see Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 29.10.2010 N 865.
improvement of state regulation of prices for medicines and medical products provided to citizens in the healthcare system.
The fifth task is the informatization of the healthcare system, including:
the development of informatization of the healthcare system, including the introduction of electronic document management in medical organizations;
creation of a medical information and educational resource.
ConsultantPlus: note.
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of December 28, 2012 N 2580-r approved the Strategy for the Development of Medical Science in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2025.
The sixth task is to develop medical science and innovations in the field of healthcare, improve the skills of medical workers and create a system to increase motivation for quality work, including: , development and implementation of new effective technologies for early diagnosis in the practice of the healthcare system;
stimulation of domestic and foreign drug manufacturers to establish research centers for the development of drugs in the Russian Federation;
provision of training and retraining of medical personnel based on continuous education, professional development and introduction of advanced medical technologies, development of standards for training management personnel in the healthcare system and implementation of educational programs.
The seventh task is to improve the public health system, including:
promotion and formation of a healthy lifestyle and increasing the employer’s responsibility for the health of their employees and the population for their own health;
development and implementation of programs for the prevention of alcoholism, tobacco smoking and other risk factors;
Consultant Plus: note.
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1873-r dated October 25, 2010 approved the Fundamentals of the State Policy of the Russian Federation in the field of healthy nutrition of the population for the period up to 2020.
formation of a culture of healthy nutrition of the population;
ensuring a safe environment for human life;
ensuring the sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population.
The eighth task is the implementation of the priority national project “Health” (2009-2012), the main directions of which are:
provision of preventive care to the population;
development of the primary health care system;
increasing the availability and quality of specialized medical care provided to the population, including patients with vascular and oncological diseases, as well as victims of road traffic accidents, including high-tech medical care;
improvement of the blood service.
The solution of these tasks will improve the health and quality of life of the population. It is supposed to reduce the mortality rate from diseases of the circulatory system by at least 1.4 times, from accidents, poisoning and injuries – by about 2 times, to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates to those of developed countries, to reduce the incidence of social diseases by 1.5 times. significant diseases.
It is planned to increase the volume of outpatient care by approximately 1.3 times, primarily preventive care, which makes it possible to detect diseases at an early stage, significantly increase the efficiency of the use of the hospital bed fund (increase the turnover and occupancy of the bed, reduce the average length of stay in the hospital, etc. ), to fully meet the needs of the population in high-tech medical care.
Improving the health indicators of the population and the activities of healthcare system organizations will be ensured on the basis of constant modernization of the technological base of the industry, the development of medical science and education, and the improvement of personnel.
To achieve the planned indicators, it is planned to increase the share of public spending on the health care system in the gross domestic product from 3.6 percent to at least 5.2-5.5 percent in 2008-2020 (taking into account differences in the purchasing power parity of the ruble and currencies other countries, the share of public spending on the health care system in the gross domestic product will be about 10 – 11 percent, which is comparable to the indicators of advanced foreign countries).
Documents –
Government of Russia
Site search options
Close
Next news
Previous news
- Small font size
- Normal font size
- Large font size
-
Enable/disable image display
On
Off
Government of Russia
-
- Demographics
- Health
- Education
- Culture
- Society
- State
-
- Employment and labor
- Technological development
- Economics.
Regulation - Finance
- Social services
-
- Ecology
- Housing and cities
- Transport and communications
- Energy
- Industry
- Agriculture
-
- Regional development
- Far East
- Russia and the world
- Security
- Law and justice
Regulation - Selected documents with references to them
- Search across all documents
Type of document
Decree of the Government of the Russian FederationOrder of the Government of the Russian FederationOrder of the President of the Russian FederationDecree of the President of the Russian FederationFederal lawFederal constitutional lawCode
Number
Title or body of the document
Signing date
May 27, Saturday
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 27, 2023 No.
819
On the peculiarities of the provision and distribution in 2023 of other interbudgetary transfers from the federal budget to provide financial assistance to the budgets of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Luhansk People’s Republic, Zaporizhzhya region and Kherson region, the source of financial support for which is budgetary appropriations reserved in the federal budget for the implementation of measures to promote social – economic development of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Lugansk People’s Republic, Zaporizhzhya region and Kherson region, as well as measures to ensure life support and restore infrastructure in the territories of individual constituent entities of the Russian Federation
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 27, 2023 No.
816
On Amendments to the Regulations on the Calculation and Application of Export Customs Duty Rates for Grain Crops Exported from the Russian Federation Outside the States Parties to the Customs Union Agreements
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 27, 2023 No. 820
On amendments to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of December 5, 2022 No. 2231
May 25, Thursday
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 25, 2023 No.
813
On amendments to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of February 2, 2023 No. 150
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 25, 2023 No. 815
On approval of the list of cases in which authentication using information systems of organizations that carry out authentication based on biometric personal data of individuals is not allowed, and the list of cases in which it is allowed to use biometric personal data, the consent of an individual to the processing of which is signed by a simple electronic signature, the right to create (replace) and issue a key of which, in the manner prescribed by the legislation of the Russian Federation in the field of the use of electronic signatures, is held by an organization that performs authentication based on biometric personal data of individuals
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 25, 2023 No.
814
On Amendments to Certain Acts of the Government of the Russian Federation
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 25, 2023 No. 811
On Amendments to Certain Acts of the Government of the Russian Federation
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 25, 2023 No. 812
On Amending Clause 3 of the Rules for the Payment of Remuneration for Service Inventions, Service Utility Models, Service Industrial Designs
May 22, Monday
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 22, 2023 No.
809
On Amendments to the Investment Declaration of the Extended Investment Portfolio of the State Management Company
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 22, 2023 No. 810
On approval of the Rules for the accreditation of organizations that carry out authentication based on biometric personal data of individuals, the grounds for its suspension and termination and invalidation of the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated October 20, 2021 No. 1799
May 20, Saturday
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 20, 2023 No.
801
On amendments to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated November 30, 2021 No. 2127
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated May 20, 2023 No. 802
On Amendments to Certain Acts of the Government of the Russian Federation
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated May 20, 2023 No. 803
On measures to implement subparagraph 7.
1.57 of paragraph 7 of the decision of the Commission of the Customs Union dated November 27, 2009 No. 130 “On the unified customs and tariff regulation of the Eurasian Economic Union” in relation to raw cane sugar
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 20, 2023 No. 799
On Amendments to Certain Acts of the Government of the Russian Federation
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated May 20, 2023 No. 804
On the approval of a transaction for the sale of real estate objects that are in federal ownership and assigned on the right of economic management to the federal state unitary enterprise “Rosmorport”
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 20, 2023 No.
800
On Amendments to the Regulations on State Regulation of Prices for Products Supplied under the State Defense Order
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 20, 2023 No. 805
On the exercise on behalf of the Russian Federation of the rights of a shareholder of VTB Bank (public joint stock company)
May 19, Friday
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 19, 2023 No. 790
On amendments to the Rules for granting a subsidy from the federal budget in the form of a property contribution of the Russian Federation to the state development corporation “VEB.