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7-2 Final Project: Final Paper PSY-322 Adolescent Development Southern New Hampshire University Alyssa Kavanagh August 8, 2022

As children grow into adolescents, they go through various growth spurts where their muscles get stronger, bones get longer and stronger, and they are able to do many things that they were unable to do when they were younger. The physical development of children and adolescents is an important topic to research and understand. Physical development is relevant to adolescence and emerging adulthood because “physical development is the most readily visible of the child development domains” (Child Development Institute, 2019). The physical changes that occur during the transition from childhood to adolescence can make individuals vulnerable to mental health issues and studying more about this topic can provide a better understanding of physical development and how it ties into mental health. Physical development is the most visible type of development that takes place in individuals. Visible changes can include height, weight, and various changes that take place during puberty. Though these components of physical development are visible, there are also changes taking place inside of the brain. “In all developmental domains, the brain is promoting exploration and movement but when exploration and movement occur it also stimulates brain development including both neurogenesis (growth of new brain cells) and synaptogenesis (forming new connections between brain cells)” (Child Development Institute, 2019). Development in children is a crucial part of them growing into their changing bodies, learning about the changes, and feeling comfortable with the changes that are happening. The changes that take place can be scary and overwhelming, so it is important to have an understanding beforehand, and while the changes take place. It is important to make sure children have the right knowledge about their bodies as they change because they receive so

much information about the process of puberty, and sometimes they receive incorrect information. The physical development of children into adolescents isn’t always perfect, there can be various issues that occur. Not all children start puberty at the same time. Females typically see the starting symptoms of puberty a couple of years before males do. The timing of a female’s first period can also vary: some may start it at the age of 8 and others may not start it until as late as 16 years old. The changes that occur can cause mental health issues also. For females, the visible curves and breasts that they may start to see can cause issues with body image. For males, the changes in their voice or the growth of facial hair occurring at different stages can cause confidence issues. “ 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” (OPA Office). Educating yourself and others on the rapid physical changes that adolescents go through is very important. The article, titled “Growing up strong: The importance of physical, mental, and emotional strength during childhood and adolescence with a focus on dietary factors” was found in the SNHU library database. SNHU’s library database is valid and reliable because Southern New Hampshire is a certified university, and the library contains peer-reviewed resources with authors who hold credentials. This article addresses the importance of physical, mental, and emotional strength during childhood and adolescence. This article starts off by defining strength

and how it is a critical component of functionality. It then goes on to discuss the percentages of obesity in children and adolescents and how it is a major public health concern here in the United States and how these issues affect the physical development of children and adolescents. This is a relevant topic relating to the concepts and theory in this course because it focuses on the importance of strength in children and adolescents. The authors of this article used many references to support their work, and a lot of the references that were used were studies on adolescent health and the physical well-being of adolescents. The authors of this article included research. Many studies were conducted, and many forms of data were shown. The first study was muscle fitness encompassing muscular strength, local muscular endurance, and muscle power. Muscle strength was measured involving individuals from ages 4 to 19 to examine the association between muscular fitness and health outcomes. The conclusion of this study showed that 90% reported inverse associations between muscle fitness and total weight. Many other studies were referenced throughout this article. Another example of the many different studies is a study involving almost 100,000 middle/high schoolers from 213 cities all over the United States where they were given questionnaires assessing the frequency of family dinners to link to levels of self-esteem. This study’s conclusion supported the “unique role of diet-family interactions to improve strength in young people” (Leidy, 2020). This reliable and valid source provides lots of useful information for my research on the topic of physical development in children and adolescents. This article was very well written, easy to read, and thoughtful and reflective. It is organized, and applicable for a classroom teacher. I don’t believe there are any limitations to this article.

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