Evaluation of the relation between age discrimination and intercultural sensitivities of university students in healthcare fields

Abstract

Aging population is a worldwide phenomenon and the elderly population is also increasing dramatically in the world. Ageism attitudes of health science faculty students are important for this reason. This study is conducted to determine the relationship between the ageism and Cross-cultural sensitivity levels of university students. The study was cross-sectional and the data were collected from January to February 2019. In collection of the data, Socio-demographics and Attitude. Towards Elderly Data Form, Positive and Negative Ageism Scale and Cross-cultural Sensitivity Scale were used. The mean age of the participants was 20.36 ± 1.85 years and 432 (86.1%) participants were female. The total mean PNAS score of the students is 84.74 ± 8.98, and their attitudes regarding the elderly and ageism were found to be positive. The total mean Positive and Negative Ageism score of the students; a statistically significant difference was found when the desire to be trained on geriatric care, experience with elderly individuals, desire to work with geriatric patients following graduation, opinion on the age as of which old age starts, where parents should continue their lives when they get old were compared with the status of experiencing problems while providing care for the elderly individual (p < 0.05). There is a positive weak level advance significant relationship with Cross-cultural Sensitivity Scale Total variable. In conclusion, it was found that ageism is affected by the desire to receive training about elderly care, having an experience with elderly individual, the desire to work with geriatric patients after graduation, the age at which the old age period begins, where the parents should live when they get older, experiencing problems while giving care to the elderly individual. Accordingly, the subject of ageism may be included more in the relevant health curriculum.