The Identification of High School Students' Attitudes Towards Ageism and Related Factors

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes of students towards the elderly and the associated factors. Material and Methods: The population of this cross-sectional study consisted of 660 students attending a high school in Konya during the 2021-2022 academic year. No sampling procedure was conducted. The dependent variable in the study is the attitude towards the elderly, determined using the Positive and Negative Ageism Scale. The independent variables consist of socio-demographic characteristics and experiences related to the elderly. Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using the Mann Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis Analysis of Variance. Results: A total of 509 students participated in the study. The mean Positive and Negative Ageism Scale scores of the students were found to be 44.3±6.7 and 36.6±5.9, respectively. The Positive and Negative Ageism Scale scores were found to be significantly higher among students involved in projects related to elderly health (p=0.034, p=0.049), those who intend to live with their parents (p=0.010, p