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Flexibleformsofemployment...
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thewsetal.,1990).Interestinglyenough,womenclaimedthatthelevel
ofstressaftermenopausewaslowerthanearlier.
Althoughtherearewomenandmenwhosufferfromsignificantsymp-
tomsofmenopause(flushes,heatwaves,nervousness,etc.),itisestimated
thatthesesymptomsonlyappearinoneintenwomen(Matthewsetetal.,
1990).
Inspiteofchangesinthereproductivesystem,mostpeoplearesexually
active,althoughthenumberofinstancesofsexualintercoursedecreases
(Laummanetal.,1994;Michael,1994).
Changesintheosseoussystemarecausedbythelossofcalciuminbones
whichresultsinthereductionofbonemassleadingtotheirgreaterporosity
andbrittleness.Thisprocessiscalledosteoporosisandproceedsquicker
inwomen.Althoughthelossofcalciuminwomenandmenbeginsafter
30,theincreaseofsusceptibilitytofracturesinwomenappearsattheage
of50andmuchlaterinmen.IntheUSAinthe1980sitwasestimated
thatoneinfourwomenbefore80wouldsufferfromtranscervicalfracture,
whichisalsocurrentlydiagnosed(Lindsay,1985).
Senilechangesofsightandhearing.Thesearethemostfrequentandvis-
iblechangesinthemiddleage.Mostpeoplebetween40and60weargla-
sses.Thischangeiscalledpresbyopia.Touseametaphoronecansaythat
asaconsequenceofthischangethemiddle-agedholdbooksawaysincethe
abilityofseeingsharplydistantobjectsdeteriorates.Thus,drivingacaror
performingsimilaractivitiesmaybecomemorestressful.Allthesechanges
requirebothphysicalandpsychologicaladaptation.
Parallelly,thereoccursaprocesscalledsenilepresbyacusiswhich
liesinthedegenerationofhearingnervesandastructureofinternalear
whichcausesthereductionoftheabilityofhearingsoundsofhighandlow
frequencies.Thelossofhearingbefore50isquiteslowandonlyasmall
percentageofpeopleinmidliferequireahearingaid.After50theloss
ofhearingproceedsmuchquickerintheprocessofprimaryageing
(Fozard,1990).
Changesinthehealthcondition.Thesearechangesconnectedwithmore
frequentlyoccurringillnessesanddysfunctions.Thenumberofhealthy
peopleagedbetween40and60decreases.Halfofthemiddle-agedsuffer
fromsomediagnosedillnessesordysfunctions.Theyhaveahighercoeffi-
cientofchronicdiseases.Itisreflectedintheirbehaviour.Asmuchas25%
ofpeopleattheagebetween45and55confesstosomedeficienciesbut
fewofthemareincapableoftakingcareofthemselves.After60physical
deficienciesareencounteredmuchmoreoften(Verbrugge,1989).Whenit
comestoindividualdifferencesbetweenwomenandmen,theformerlive
statisticallylongerinallcountries,althoughtheysufferfrommanymore
illnessesandailments.Theydescribetheirhealthconditionasweakmuch
moreoftenthanmenandconfesstosufferingfrommorechronicdiseases