Deck 11: Physical Development and Health in Middle Childhood

Question 1

From childhood through adolescence, there is a(n) _______ of white matter and a(n) _______ of gray matter.

A) increase; decrease
B) decrease; increase
C) decreased density; decreased functioning
D) increased density; increased functioning
E) equal amount; increased amount

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Why might the impression of young teens as being impulsive and poor planners have some merit?

A) Young teens have decreased white matter when compared to later adolescence.
B) One of the last areas of the brain to develop is the prefrontal cortex.
C) The parietal lobe develops slower than other areas of the brain.
D) The myelin sheaths around axons are not developed at this time.
E) The communication between hemispheres does not improve until early adulthood.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which statement provides evidence of gender differences in brain development?

A) Gray matter in the parietal lobe and basal ganglia peak earlier in females than males.
B) White matter develops linearly in females but not in males.
C) Gray matter develops earlier in males than females in the prefrontal cortex.
D) Both white and gray matter are denser in males than females.
E) Both white and gray matter are denser in females than males.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which would be expected of brain connectivity in middle childhood?

A) Myelin sheaths thin
B) Short-range connections increase
C) Connections become more simplified
D) Connections become more complex
E) Connections become less efficient

Question 5

If researchers want to examine changes in brain connectivity from childhood through adolescence, they would most likely be using

A) PET scans.
B) MRI scans.
C) brain network analyses using fMRI.
D) central nervous system imaging.
E) functional lobe analyses.

Question 6

Why is synchronized brain wave activity important?

A) Synchronized areas of the brain develop densely populated white matter.
B) Synchronized areas of the brain are needed in progressively more complex learning tasks.
C) Synchronized brain waves indicate growth of the cortex.
D) Synchronized brain waves result in faster development of the prefrontal cortex.
E) Synchronized areas of the brain prevent cognitive delays.

Question 7

Which statement reflects findings on brain associations to children's performance on Piaget's tasks of conservation?

A) Most children are unsuccessful on Piagetian tasks since brain region connectivity is limited.
B) Children showed no difference in brain activity when completing traditional conservation tasks.
C) Children who failed conservation tasks showed greater coordinated brain activity.
D) Children who succeeded at higher order thinking tasks showed reduced gray matter.
E) Children who succeeded on the tasks had more coordinated brain activity than those who failed.

Question 8

Slight differences in brain development into middle childhood have led to some children with _______ showing different brain volume and continued emphasis on short-range neural communication.

A) lower intelligence
B) higher intelligence
C) ADHD
D) seizures
E) learning disabilities

Question 9

The negative impact of poverty on brain development includes

A) increase in size of the cerebral cortex.
B) decrease in the size of the brain stem.
C) reduced gray matter and white matter.
D) increased brain density.
E) increased functioning of prefrontal cortex and decreased functioning of temporal lobe.

Question 10

Jane is concerned that her 12-year-old son is starting to experience leg pains. The doctor reassures Jane that this is common and is likely due to

A) the weight gain experienced at this age.
B) his gender and age.
C) the decrease in muscle mass and increase in fatty tissue at this age.
D) the surge in muscle mass at this age.
E) his increased activity level at this age.

Question 11

Brain scans of children living in poverty show differences in size and function compared to those growing up in homes with higher incomes. This is partially due to

A) increased stressful life events and higher likelihood of exposure to insensitive parenting.
B) decreased number of family members in the home.
C) increased number of family members in the home.
D) increased level of supports from outside the home.
E) variety of experiences available in many urban communities.

Question 12

Which provides an example of a common gross motor skill in childhood?

A) Typing on a keyboard
B) Cutting with scissors
C) Tying Shoes
D) Throwing a ball
E) All of the above

Question 13

Changes in gross motor skills during middle childhood include

A) balance, strength, muscle tone, and muscle mass.
B) dexterity, flexibility, balance, and muscle tone.
C) strength, flexibility, balance, and agility.
D) strength, dexterity, muscle mass, and balance.
E) balance, dexterity, flexibility, and muscle tone.

Question 14

Participation in formal and informal sports and other physical activity has benefits that include all of the following except

A) muscle growth.
B) bone growth.
C) reduced risk of obesity.
D) heart health.
E) weight gain.

Question 15

Cathy, who has not played organized sports before, has joined the middle school track team. A few weeks after she started, she experienced severe pain in her legs, especially around the knees. What might explain this sudden pain and inflammation around her knees?

A) Normal growth of the muscles and tendons in response to an increase in physical activity.
B) Abnormal growth of the bones in her knee and lower leg that is often seen at this age.
C) A condition known as Osgood-Schlatter disease.
D) A degenerative condition known as the Kenyan Threshold.
E) Abnormal growth in ligaments and tendons, often referred to as Potocki-Shaffer's syndrome.

Question 16

Children tend to have better control over their fine motor skills as evidenced by their handwriting and detail in drawings. Developments in such abilities are often seen in children around age

A) 12 years
B) 5 years.
C) 8 years.
D) 15 years.
E) 3 years.

Question 17

Which is not an example of a fine motor skill in middle childhood?

A) Buttoning a shirt
B) Throwing a ball
C) Tying a shoe
D) Braiding a friend's hair
E) Writing with a pencil

Question 18

In the beginning of middle childhood

A) girls weigh more and are slightly heavier than boys.
B) girls weigh less and are slightly shorter than boys.
C) boys and girls weigh the same, but boys are slightly shorter than girls.
D) boys have greater muscle mass and are slightly taller than girls.
E) boys and girls are approximately equal in height and weight at this time.

Question 19

Participation in organized sports is associated with

A) higher rates of aggression in middle childhood.
B) lower rates of aggression in middle childhood.
C) increased anxiety and depression.
D) decreased anxiety and depression.
E) higher rates of social and behavioral issues.

Question 20

Which statement is consistent with findings about gender differences in motor skills?

A) Boys tend to be better at sports requiring balance than girls.
B) Girls are likely to be better at sports requiring balance and agility than boys.
C) Girls are less likely than boys to excel at sports requiring agility and strength.
D) Girls catch up to boys in balance and strength around age 10 or 11.
E) Boys tend to be better at sports requiring balance until age 12, when girls excel over boys.

Question 21

A significant reason for the recent decrease in children's time spent in physical activity is

A) a lack of resources for many families.
B) insufficient societal messaging about the need for exercise.
C) an increase in community-run, non-athletic activities.
D) a tendency for children to prefer spending time doing homework.
E) a decrease in recess and physical education time during school hours.

Question 22

Findings from the Swedish study where researchers varied the amount of physical activity in schools indicates

A) gains in motor development persisted, even into adolescence.
B) gains in motor development were most pronounced in early childhood, but made little impact by the early teen years.
C) gains in motor development were more pronounced for males more than females.
D) gains in motor development were only seen for children from physically active families.
E) no significant differences occurred when additional physical activity was added to the school day.

Question 23

Which of the following is not a sign of food insecurity?

A) Refusal to apply for supplemental nutritional program
B) Cutting the size of meals or skip meals because of a lack of money for food
C) Passing on more expensive foods for less expensive foods that do not provide balanced meals
D) Experiencing weight loss because of not having enough money for food
E) Being unable to purchase enough food to last until they can buy more

Question 24

Mr. Johnson is concerned that one of his sixth-grade students may be experiencing food insecurity. A colleague dismisses Mr. Johnson's concerns, reminding him that the child is slightly overweight. Should Mr. Johnson be concerned?

A) Yes, all children should be screened for food insecurity in the United States.
B) No, the student is clearly not underweight, so is getting sufficient food and there is nothing to worry about.
C) Yes, food insecurity occurs in nearly half of all families in the United States.
D) No, food insecurity is extremely rare in the United States given many entitlements.
E) Yes, food insecurity is about a lack of quality food as well as quantity. Obesity is one of the most common signs of food insecurity.

Question 25

Which statement about food insecurity is true?

A) Food insecurity is more common in suburban areas than rural areas.
B) The highest percentage of food insecure households are in rural areas.
C) Black and Hispanic children are nearly 20 times more likely to experience food insecurity than other households.
D) The southwestern U.S. has the highest percentage of children experiencing food insecurity.
E) Food insecurity can be found equally across all states, regions, races, and ethnicities.

Question 26

Why might it be difficult to convince some families that having an overweight child negatively impacts their child's health?

A) Families believe they know more than medical professionals.
B) Some cultures believe that a child is the most knowledgeable about the amount and type of food their body needs.
C) Weight during childhood is not important to most families.
D) Some cultures believe that having a thin child is a sign of poverty, but an overweight child indicates having the resources to feed the child well.
E) Being slightly overweight is actually healthy at this age.

Question 27

Growing rates of obesity have been documented in

A) the United States more than in any other country.
B) many countries around the world, including less-resourced countries.
C) less-resourced countries, while rates are declining in high-resourced countries.
D) high-resourced countries, while rates are declining in low-resourced countries.
E) the western hemisphere exclusively.

Question 28

Which might be an accurate statement around contextual risks to being overweight?

A) A family's eating choices are the largest contributing factor in a child's eating habits and risk for obesity.
B) A child's peers play little role in their eating habits.
C) A child's school environment surpasses other contexts in determining the health status of a child under age 12 years.
D) A child's genetics is the greatest contributing factor in determining risk for obesity.
E) There is no correlation between food marketing and a child's eating habits.

Question 29

Families can best encourage good eating habits and help prevent obesity by

A) controlling a child's intake by banning eating any sugary or salty foods at all.
B) using snack foods like cookies and chips as a reward for good eating habits during meals.
C) getting take-out meals to be eaten together as a family.
D) persistent calorie counting of a child's consumption to ensure control over intake.
E) selecting and eating healthy foods with the child.

Question 30

Which factor may contribute to the rise in obesity?

A) Lack of public playgrounds and nearby parks
B) Greater emphasis on organized youth sports
C) Greater emphasis on unstructured outdoor play
D) Schools allowing recess and recreational activities without direct supervision
E) Participation in nutritional programs in school

Question 31

Which has been a successful school-based intervention to promote good health and nutrition?

A) Decreasing organized youth sports after school to allow for more free-play time
B) Increasing the amount of class time devoted to teaching health education
C) School breakfast programs
D) Monitored school vending machine programs
E) Eliminating school lunch program in suburban and affluent schools

Question 32

Which statement best reflects accurate information about children's sleep during middle childhood?

A) The amount of sleep children need appears to be consistent across all cultures.
B) The quality of sleep steadily improves throughout middle childhood.
C) The "optimal" amount of sleep appears to differ across cultures.
D) The "optimal" amount of sleep in middle childhood is greater than any other time in the lifespan.
E) Children's sleep patterns appear to remain consistent throughout childhood and adolescence.

Question 33

A sleep problem in which children experience frequent bed wetting is known as

A) night-time encopresis disorder.
B) nocturnal bladder dysfunction.
C) diuretic encopresis.
D) nocturnal systematic elimination.
E) nocturnal enuresis.

Question 34

Which is not known to impact a child's quality and quantity of sleep?

A) An erratic schedule
B) Poor parent-child interactions
C) Catching up on sleep during weekends
D) A dark, cool room
E) Parent-child conflict

Question 35

To which is a child who attends public elementary school likely to be exposed at some point during the middle childhood years?

A) Conjunctivitis
B) Whooping cough
C) Streptococcal infections
D) Influenza
E) All the above

Question 36

Jaylene has chronic asthma that has caused her and her family numerous trips to the hospital over many years. Jaylene's family has good health insurance, and she is receiving excellent care for her frequent medical needs. Are there still concerns her family should have?

A) Yes, a chronic illness is often a sign of negative family relationships.
B) No, Jaylene has a loving family who is able to afford high quality care.
C) Yes, stressors associated with chronic childhood disease can cause academic, emotional, and social difficulties
D) No, diseases in middle childhood nearly always correct themselves with little to no lasting impact on development if proper healthcare is received.
E) Yes, chronic illnesses during middle childhood are more detrimental than those present earlier in life.

Question 37

The most common serious chronic disease is

A) asthma.
B) cystic fibrosis.
C) influenza.
D) muscular dystrophy.
E) hepatitis.

Question 38

The criteria for an ADHD diagnosis

A) is listed in the DSM-5 manual.
B) includes presence of symptoms prior to 12 years of age.
C) includes presence of symptoms in multiple settings.
D) includes interference in social relationships and schoolwork.
E) All of the above

Question 39

The two leading ways in which children suffer injuries during middle childhood are

A) soccer and football.
B) vehicle accidents and team sports.
C) team sports and recreational leagues.
D) vehicle accidents and bicycle accidents.
E) bicycle accidents and soccer.

Question 40

Which is not an example of useful advice you could offer a parent about how to minimize sports injury in their children?

A) Have children switch off among different sports in different seasons.
B) Promote exercise to improve flexibility, balance, control, and strength of the core and trunk.
C) Suggest that children avoid organized sports entirely.
D) Ensure that children receive adequate rest.
E) None of the above is useful advice.

Question 41

Jasmine is entering middle childhood. What changes are expected to take place in her brain during middle childhood?

Question 42

Describe how changes in the functioning of a child's brain during middle childhood help them process more complex information at greater speeds.

Question 43

Eight year-old Lionel is growing up in a household where his single mother's income is below the poverty line. There is often much arguing in the house among his mother and three older siblings. How might Lionel's living conditions impact his brain development?

Question 44

What fine motor skill development can be expected during middle childhood?

Question 45

Why might youth sports tend divide boys and girls in their same-sex division at the beginning of middle childhood? Do you think this is a good idea? Provide a rationale for your argument.

Question 46

Which would provide children a greater amount of time in physical activity: Additional recess or physical education? State your rationale.

Question 47

You operate a program that received limited funds to combat food insecurity. If your goal is to spend the money in the areas of highest need, what demographics might be helpful to know?

Question 48

What might an effective weight management program look like for an overweight 10 year-old.

Question 49

Briefly describe ways researchers determine children's sleep needs.

Question 50

Explain how the home environment can influence the amount and quality of a child's sleep.

Question 51

Describe the impact of poor sleep quality and duration on the academic performance of children.