Abstract
Background: Studies have revealed an increase in discrimination, neglect, and abuse among the older adult population during this period. This study assessed the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the ageism survey instrument tested on a sample of the Iranian older adult population during coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. An important move in counteracting ageism is to classify the ageism scale comprehensively by employing adequate psychometrics.Methods: The Persian version of the ageism scale was developed using a two-step procedure. The first step involved translating and revising the original scale to develop a Persian version of the ageism scale. The second step involved assessing the psychometric features of the newly adapted scale using construct validity through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and thereafter assessing the reliability through the average inter-item correlation (AIC), Cronbach's alpha. The sample consisted of 400 older adults (age 65 and older), who were recruited through online data collection, with samples for EFA and CFA randomly selected from the total samples.Results: The Persian version of the ageism survey has three factors: age-related deprivation with five items, dignity with three items, and employment with three items; all of which explained 57.02% of the total variance. The outcome of the EFA was verified by the CFA, with internal consistency reliability being excellent (Cronbach's alpha was 0.725, 0.698, and 0.708 for the three factors).Conclusion: This study specifically offers a restructured three factors Persian version of the ageism survey for Iranian older adults with acceptable construct validity and reliability.
Highlights
The number of older adults in Iran is growing, with the population aged 65 and older estimated to hit more than 10% by 2021
The sample consisted of 400 older adults, who were recruited through online data collection, with samples for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) randomly selected from the total samples
This indicated that all 20 items in the Persian version of the ageism survey were considered appropriate, with no items being excluded in this stage
Summary
The number of older adults in Iran is growing, with the population aged 65 and older estimated to hit more than 10% by 2021. A comprehensive review of the literature revealed that supportive policies and positive responses have been afforded to the older adults, which focused mainly on limiting their exposure to COVID-19 through social distancing from family, friends, and community members for an extended period. While these special arrangements have been known to provide some mental and physical benefits, such as positive views of aging [5, 6]. An important move in counteracting ageism is to classify the ageism scale comprehensively by employing adequate psychometrics
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