Assessment of the attitude of undergraduate dental students toward the geriatric population

Abstract

Background: The training of future dentists, who will care for geriatric patients, needs to evolve in accordance with the exponential increase in the aging population. The participants (undergraduate students) should improve their knowledge, attitudes, and skills with regard to the management of older people as they increasingly encounter them. It is, therefore, important to inculcate an empathetic attitude in the participants, toward the geriatric population. Aim: To assess the attitude of undergraduate dental students toward the geriatric population. Materials and Methods: All third and final year students of the Subharti Dental College, Meerut, were asked to participate voluntarily in the questionnaire study based on that of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The Geriatric Attitude Scale consists of a mixture of 14 positively and negatively worded statements answered on a five-point Likert Scale, ranging from 'Strongly disagree' (one point) to ' Strongly agree' (five points). Results: The mean UCLA attitude score was 3.44 [±standard deviation (SD), 0.09], suggesting that the cohort had a relatively positive attitude toward the geriatric population. There was no significant difference ( P = 0.9341) in the mean UCLA scores between the male and female participants. There was also no significant difference ( P = 0.7787) in the mean UCLA scores between the third and final year participants. Conclusion: The participants had a relatively positive attitude toward the geriatric population.