Abstract
Background:Studies show as people age, demand for health care services rises. One of the most important factors that significantly affect the quality of elderly care is the attitude towards older adults.Objective:The current study aimed to assess the attitude of medical sciences students towards older adults in Iran.Methods:A cross-sectional design study using a multistage proportional random sampling method was employed to obtain a sample of 583 Iranian medical sciences students in 2017. The data were measured using the Kogan's Attitudes Towards Older People Scale (KAOPS). The SPSS 23.0 for Windows (IBM SPSS Statistics 23.0) was used to analyze the data.Results:Out of the 583 respondents, around 44% were female and a little more than one-fourth was medical students. The mean age was 21.98 (SD=3.63) years. The mean score of the attitude towards the elderly was found to be 56.90 (SD=8.04). Aging health students scored a more positive attitude towards elderly people than other medical sciences students. Results of the bivariate analyses revealed that field of study (F(7, 575) = 2.66,P<0.01), participating in gerontology and geriatrics research (t(581) =2.80,p<0.01), and attending in gerontology and geriatrics congress (t(581) =1.96,p<0.05) significantly associated with attitude toward older adults.Conclusions:The findings from the current study show that Iranian medical sciences students have moderate positive attitudes towards older adults and vary by students’ field of study and their research activity in gerontology and geriatrics field. Therefore, effective interventions for enhancing the attitudes of medical sciences students towards older adults should be developed and implemented.
Highlights
The world's population is aging rapidly owing to declining fertility and rising life expectancy
The findings from the current study show that Iranian medical sciences students have moderate positive attitudes towards older adults and vary by students’ field of study and their research activity in gerontology and geriatrics field
Studies show as people age, the probability of a variety of physical, psychological and social problems increases and demands for health care services rises [4]
Summary
The world's population is aging rapidly owing to declining fertility and rising life expectancy. Iran like other countries around the world is experiencing an aging population. Increasing aging population can be considered as a successful experience, it causes a series of new problems for healthcare systems in all developed and developing countries [2, 3]. Studies show as people age, the probability of a variety of physical, psychological and social problems increases and demands for health care services rises [4]. Studies show as people age, demand for health care services rises. One of the most important factors that significantly affect the quality of elderly care is the attitude towards older adults
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
