Adult Health Issues

Aging attracts less interest or focus in health and behavioural sciences compare to other issues like maternal and child health care and adolescent sexuality , just to mention a few .

Aging is a continuous process but more noticeable in the last years of life. Although, aging calls for changes in need and ways of life, nevertheless, the aged can still enjoy much of life if their physical, mental, socio - emotional health are well maintained or nourished.

Craig (1986) considered aging as consisting series of status passages among which are old age itself, retirement and widowhood. 

It differs from earlier stages of life as it leads to no further stage as the physical and social environment tend to contract rather than expand.

The aging process in man evolves changes in physical and physiological mechanisms as an individual gets older and continually reacts to his or her environment. Though the passage of time, the aged has delimiting marks on his agility, strength, productivity and performance physically and physiologically.

Ensor, Means and Henkel (1985) wrote that for many old men and women, aging connotes increased health problems, some minor, some serious. Specific health problems cooking among the aged include; gradual increase in blood pressure, decrease ability of the cardiovascular respiratory system to exchange oxygen and carbondioxide, necrosis of the central nervous system and decrease in range of motion of the joints , the wear and tear theory of aging proposes that the body's machine or make up simply wears out while another theory suggests that life long accumulation of waste products result in the damage of body's cells. Also auto immunity theory believes  aging to be the result of body's increasing tendency to reject its own tissue.