BBH 101 Exam 2 PSU Verified Solutions
Classifications of Risk Factors: Risk factors can be categorized as either modifiable (controllable) or non-
modifiable (non-controllable).
Major Risk Factor for Significant Diseases: Age is a leading risk factor for major diseases such as
cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s, contributing to 90% of deaths in developed
countries.
Telomeres: Protective caps located at the ends of DNA strands.
Sex-Based Risk Factors: Men face a higher risk for cancer and coronary heart disease compared to
women due to behavioral factors, higher alcohol and smoking rates, engagement in riskier activities, and
a lesser tendency to report health issues.
Family History Risk Factors: Certain diseases display clear heritability, such as Huntington’s Disease,
which has a 90% heritability rate. Additionally, lifestyle choices and early environment are often shaped
by family influences.
Types of Prevention:
- Primary Prevention: Efforts aimed at preventing disease onset.
- Secondary Prevention: Identifying and addressing diseases in individuals who are unaware they are sick
(e.g., through screening).
- Tertiary Prevention: Interventions that take place after disease diagnosis.
Health Belief Model: A framework suggesting that health decisions are influenced by perceived
susceptibility to a health threat, the severity of the threat, the benefits of taking action, and the barriers
to taking action.
Theory of Planned Behavior: Proposes that an individual’s intention to change behavior predicts actual
changes, influenced by their attitudes, societal norms, and perceived control over their actions.
,Transtheoretical Model: A stages model of behavior change that includes:
1. Precontemplation
2. Contemplation
3. Preparation
4. Action
5. Maintenance
6. Relapse (may occur)
Health Promotion: Initiatives aimed at enabling individuals to change their lifestyles for better health
outcomes, empowering them, and influencing public policy, often described as “behavioral social
science.”
Stress: A negative emotional experience that triggers consistent biochemical, physiological, cognitive,
and behavioral responses aimed at either modifying the stressor or adjusting to its impacts.
Claude Bernard: A proponent of reductionism, advocating for a balanced perspective on health.
Walter Cannon: Coined the terms "homeostasis" and "fight-or-flight," addressing both physical and
psychological health aspects.
Hans Selye: An endocrinologist who studied stress in rats through hormone injections and introduced
the concept of General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), outlining that initial stress exposure makes one
prone to harm.
Stages of Stress:
1. Alarm
2. Resistance
3. Exhaustion
Allostasis: A concept that has supplanted "homeostasis," emphasizing the body’s ability to adapt flexibly
to stressors and return to optimal ranges.
, Three Major Systems of Stress Physiology:
- Sympathetic Nervous System: Reacts instantly (within seconds).
- HPA Axis: Takes effect in minutes.
- Immune System: Responds over days.
Sympathetic Nervous System: The initial system activated during the stress response, leading to
increased heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and pupil dilation while redirecting blood flow to
muscles and inhibiting digestion and sexual arousal.
Adrenal Glands: Located atop the kidneys, they consist of two regions: the adrenal cortex and adrenal
medulla.
Adrenal Cortex: Produces cortisol, which is vital to the fight-or-flight response.
Adrenal Medulla: Secretes epinephrine and norepinephrine.
Cascade of the HPA Axis: Begins with CRH, leading to the release of ACTH, which in turn stimulates the
production of cortisol.
Hypothalamus: Releases CRH and regulates appetite through hormones like leptin and ghrelin.
Anterior Pituitary: Discharges ACTH as part of the HPA axis response.
HPA Axis and Cortisol: Cortisol attaches to receptors in the hypothalamus and hippocampus, which
reduces the production of CRH and ACTH.
Cortisol’s Effects on Cells: Facilitates the breakdown of fats and glycogen, induces gluconeogenesis, and
diminishes insulin's effects. Overall, this increases the availability of glucose and other nutrients for
energy use in the body.
Classifications of Risk Factors: Risk factors can be categorized as either modifiable (controllable) or non-
modifiable (non-controllable).
Major Risk Factor for Significant Diseases: Age is a leading risk factor for major diseases such as
cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s, contributing to 90% of deaths in developed
countries.
Telomeres: Protective caps located at the ends of DNA strands.
Sex-Based Risk Factors: Men face a higher risk for cancer and coronary heart disease compared to
women due to behavioral factors, higher alcohol and smoking rates, engagement in riskier activities, and
a lesser tendency to report health issues.
Family History Risk Factors: Certain diseases display clear heritability, such as Huntington’s Disease,
which has a 90% heritability rate. Additionally, lifestyle choices and early environment are often shaped
by family influences.
Types of Prevention:
- Primary Prevention: Efforts aimed at preventing disease onset.
- Secondary Prevention: Identifying and addressing diseases in individuals who are unaware they are sick
(e.g., through screening).
- Tertiary Prevention: Interventions that take place after disease diagnosis.
Health Belief Model: A framework suggesting that health decisions are influenced by perceived
susceptibility to a health threat, the severity of the threat, the benefits of taking action, and the barriers
to taking action.
Theory of Planned Behavior: Proposes that an individual’s intention to change behavior predicts actual
changes, influenced by their attitudes, societal norms, and perceived control over their actions.
,Transtheoretical Model: A stages model of behavior change that includes:
1. Precontemplation
2. Contemplation
3. Preparation
4. Action
5. Maintenance
6. Relapse (may occur)
Health Promotion: Initiatives aimed at enabling individuals to change their lifestyles for better health
outcomes, empowering them, and influencing public policy, often described as “behavioral social
science.”
Stress: A negative emotional experience that triggers consistent biochemical, physiological, cognitive,
and behavioral responses aimed at either modifying the stressor or adjusting to its impacts.
Claude Bernard: A proponent of reductionism, advocating for a balanced perspective on health.
Walter Cannon: Coined the terms "homeostasis" and "fight-or-flight," addressing both physical and
psychological health aspects.
Hans Selye: An endocrinologist who studied stress in rats through hormone injections and introduced
the concept of General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), outlining that initial stress exposure makes one
prone to harm.
Stages of Stress:
1. Alarm
2. Resistance
3. Exhaustion
Allostasis: A concept that has supplanted "homeostasis," emphasizing the body’s ability to adapt flexibly
to stressors and return to optimal ranges.
, Three Major Systems of Stress Physiology:
- Sympathetic Nervous System: Reacts instantly (within seconds).
- HPA Axis: Takes effect in minutes.
- Immune System: Responds over days.
Sympathetic Nervous System: The initial system activated during the stress response, leading to
increased heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and pupil dilation while redirecting blood flow to
muscles and inhibiting digestion and sexual arousal.
Adrenal Glands: Located atop the kidneys, they consist of two regions: the adrenal cortex and adrenal
medulla.
Adrenal Cortex: Produces cortisol, which is vital to the fight-or-flight response.
Adrenal Medulla: Secretes epinephrine and norepinephrine.
Cascade of the HPA Axis: Begins with CRH, leading to the release of ACTH, which in turn stimulates the
production of cortisol.
Hypothalamus: Releases CRH and regulates appetite through hormones like leptin and ghrelin.
Anterior Pituitary: Discharges ACTH as part of the HPA axis response.
HPA Axis and Cortisol: Cortisol attaches to receptors in the hypothalamus and hippocampus, which
reduces the production of CRH and ACTH.
Cortisol’s Effects on Cells: Facilitates the breakdown of fats and glycogen, induces gluconeogenesis, and
diminishes insulin's effects. Overall, this increases the availability of glucose and other nutrients for
energy use in the body.
