Abstract
With the increasing population of older adults, ageism is an obstacle to health equity and can negatively affect older adults’ quality of life and nursing care. This study aims to examine the level of ageism and the factors associated with ageism among nursing college students, who will become the main workforce for gerontological nursing. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 238 nursing students in two nursing colleges in South Korea. The total score for ageism was 37.06 (SD 5.94) out of a maximum of 72. In the multiple regression model, the predictors of ageism were aging anxiety (β = 0.420, p < 0.001), frequency of contact (β = −0.204, p < 0.001), preference for gerontological nursing (β = 0.150, p = 0.003), age (β = 0.145, p = 0.003), and quality of contact (β = −0.143, p = 0.030), revealing that these were factors influencing ageism in the evaluated nursing students. The results suggest that tailored gerontological education programs or community link programs in the nursing curriculum are necessary to share feelings of contact, increase positive experiences with older adults, and reduce anxiety about aging.
Highlights
As people’s general life expectancy increases, the population of older adults is growing worldwide, and society is aging at a rapid rate
Half of the participants (n = 123, 51.7%) had no experience living with older adults, and 89.9% of the students were not living with older people at the time of the study
A recent study showed that the score for ageism was 39.75 out of 72 points among Korean nurses in general hospitals, which indicates that the ageism of Korean nursing students was slightly lower than Korean nurses’ ageism [16]
Summary
As people’s general life expectancy increases, the population of older adults is growing worldwide, and society is aging at a rapid rate. As the older population grows, social and cultural issues related to older adults are emerging in many countries. Butler [4] first defined ageism as displaying negative attitudes or behaviors toward older adults as they get older. This definition can be used as a reference to prejudice and discrimination against older adults [5]. There is a negative perception and prejudice against older adults, as they are portrayed as people in need of support [8]
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