Attitude towards Older People According to Sociodemographic and Educational Variables in Students of a Chilean University

Abstract

Current evidence suggests that attitude towards older people may be associated with sociodemographic and educational variables; hence, a positive attitude towards older people is key when training new university professionals. However, there is little evidence of this association in Chilean university students. The objective was to analyze students from a Chilean university’s attitudes towards older people, according to sociodemographic and educational variables. Analytical and cross-sectional study; 515 students from a Chilean university were consulted online about their attitude towards older people using Kogan’s Attitudes towards Old People scale. Additionally, sociodemographic and educational variables were recorded. The average score for positive attitude was 70.8 (±9.7), while the negative attitude score was 68.3 (±11.6). The total score was 139.1 (±16.6). Mostly, university students perceive themselves with a low-level positive attitude (61.2%). Additionally, older university students (26–42 years old); women; Chileans; students of law, speech therapy, and occupational therapy; students in their final years of the programs; and those who had training in older people outside the university have a more positive attitude towards older people. In Conclusion, a profile of sociodemographic and educational characteristics of students with a lower and higher attitude towards older age was investigated. These results are relevant since the way of seeing the aging process could regulate the training of future professionals and consequently generate changes in dealing with older people. Young people’s perception of ageing would affect the treatment and incorporation of the older people in society and the adaptation of policies in this age group.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Graduating Medical, Pharmacy, and Nursing Students Toward Geriatric Care at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, North West Ethiopia

“…This finding is supported by the study done in Chile, which reported that older students had a better attitude towards geriatric care. 20 Significant differences in attitude scores by age group were also observed in a Nigerian study. 19 Older students may have more experience which makes them motivated toward a caring attitude endorsed by their social environment and education.…”

“… 6 On the contrary, the study conducted in Chile also showed that the majority (61.2%) of undergraduate students generally perceived themselves with a low-level positive attitude. 20 The difference may be due to a variation in the study setting, study population, the question used to assess attitude, and a cut-off point. The study participants in this study may not had adequate exposure to geriatric care due to the absence of a separate geriatric care center in this study setting.…”

Translation and validation of ageism scale for dental students into Malay language

“…A possible explanation for this outcome could be that generally females tend to be more sympathetic and demonstrate empathy towards the older patients as well as they might show more attention while treating their patients. 37 However, no significant difference was noted in any of the factors while comparing the gender in German 23 and Brazilian 20 versions of the scale, while in the French version 22 a statistically significant difference was noted in which male students recorded lower scores in component three regarding the education around older patient care. This study also documented that students who did not live with their family members exhibited significantly higher "ageist" scores than those who resided in their own homes with their family members for Factor 5.…”

“…This finding aligned with other validation studies performed in the USA 33 and India 25 in which female students exhibited less ageist attitudes. A possible explanation for this outcome could be that generally females tend to be more sympathetic and demonstrate empathy towards the older patients as well as they might show more attention while treating their patients 37 . However, no significant difference was noted in any of the factors while comparing the gender in German 23 and Brazilian 20 versions of the scale, while in the French version 22 a statistically significant difference was noted in which male students recorded lower scores in component three regarding the education around older patient care.…”