Aging Quiz Research Articles

Attitudes Towards the Elderly in Polish Society: Is Knowledge About Old Age and Personal Experiences a Predictor of Ageism?

PurposeThe aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of ageism in Polish society. In addition, the relationships of opinions with demographic data, knowledge about aging and individual contact with the elderly, in the context of knowledge about their exclusion, were examined.Patients and methodsThe study involved 923 individuals in Poland. Their demographic characteristics were recorded, and all subjects were assessed using Kogan’s Attitudes toward Old People (KOAP) scale and asked to complete the Facts on Aging Quiz. Subjects were also asked about their knowledge of the definition of ageism and asked to explain it.ResultsThe KOAP scale as a function of predictors was modeled using Bayesian robust linear regression with t distribution. The subjects had a mean (SD) KAOP score of 90.88 (17.41), with the central 50% of the observations ranging from 83 to 101 points. Three statistically credible relationships with responses to the questionnaires were observed. Respondents attending school had slightly lower average KAOP scores than respondents with other professional status. In addition, FAQ was negatively and moderately related to KAOP, whereas contacts with elderly people were positively and moderately related to KAOP.ConclusionKnowledge of aging and contact with elderly individuals significantly affected attitudes and behaviors regarding ageism. Many study subjects were characterized by having unfavorable attitudes towards the elderly.

The knowledge and attitudes of final-year medical students regarding care of older patients

Background. South African (SA) studies indicate that elderly patients receive poor-quality and inadequate medical care at primary care level. Medical schools must be responsive to the needs of the communities they serve. This article reviews medical students’ knowledge of and attitudes towards caring for older patients to identify areas to enhance their learning. Objective. To evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of final-year medical students regarding the care of older patients at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Durban, SA. Methods. All final-year medical students were invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire that evaluated their geriatric knowledge and attitudes. Geriatric knowledge was assessed with a modified Palmore’s Facts on Aging Quiz, and the UCLA geriatric attitudes scale was used to assess their attitudes. Ethical approval was obtained from the UKZN Biomedical Research Ethics Committee and data were collected from September to November 2019. Results. There was a 79% (n=173) response rate. The average age of participants was 24 (interquartile range (IQR) 23 - 24) years. The mean geriatric knowledge score was 56.8% (standard deviation 10.4). The mean attitude score was 3.67 out of 5, indicating mildly positive attitudes towards caring for older patients. The majority of students expressed difficulties in communicating with older patients. Conclusion. The poor knowledge and mildly positive attitudes of students necessitate educational interventions to stimulate student interest in geriatrics and improve learning in this field, including increased attention to communication skills training relevant to the care of older patients.

Effectiveness of an Intergenerational Service-Learning Program to Change Attitudes on Aging

This study evaluated the efficacy of a 10-hour intergenerational service-learning program administered to undergraduates to determine if it would increase knowledge about aging, improve attitudes about older adults, and reduce ageism more than a course with less service-learning activity. Making maximum impact on students in these areas in a short amount of time is particularly relevant in short, quarter-based university programs. A quasi-experimental design using a convenience sample compared pre-test and post-test scores between an experimental intervention (N=68) and a comparison (N=71) group on The Facts on Aging Quiz Multiple Choice version, Aging Semantic Differential, and Fabroni Scale on Ageism. Qualitative data via open-ended survey questions was also collected. The experimental intervention, the Lives Well Lived project, was based on a documentary film by the same name, which incorporates themes of successful aging. During the project students and older adults interviewed one another about living a life well lived, participated in a photo shoot, and created a Memoir for the older adult. The comparison group included two social visits to a congregate meal program. Results from multiple regression analysis showed that students in the intervention group had less ageist stereotypes and less negative bias about aging at post-test and qualitative data indicated they were more inclined to participate in intergenerational relationships in the future. Programs like this one that are longer and more relational may be useful for consideration in undergraduate gerontology courses in reducing ageism and promoting intergenerational relationships which benefit those of all ages.

Comparative effectiveness of intergenerational service-learning programs on student outcomes of knowledge, attitude, and ageism

ABSTRACT Intergenerational service-learning for undergraduate students seeks to generate interest about the older adult population, while increasing knowledge and improving attitudes about aging and reducing ageism. It is difficult to make an impact on students’ views in a short time period, such as an academic quarter. This comparative effectiveness study evaluated the efficacy of a 10-week intergenerational service-learning program administered to Psychology of Aging undergraduates to determine if it increased knowledge about aging, improved attitudes about older adults, and reduced ageism more than a predominately didactic course with less service activity. A quasi-experimental design using a convenience sample compared pre- and posttest scores between the experimental intervention (n = 68) and comparison (n = 71) condition on The Facts on Aging Quiz Multiple Choice version, Aging Semantic Differential, and Fabroni Scale on Ageism. The experimental intervention, the Lives Well Lived program, matched students and older adults who met criteria for “successful aging,” in a mutual interviewing, life review project utilizing documentary film, photography, and creation of memoirs. Results determined that students in the experimental intervention showed less stereotypical beliefs and net bias about aging. Programs that are more relational, in-depth, more experiential and less didactic may be useful for consideration in undergraduate psychology or human service programs in reducing ageism and potential for increasing interest in careers in the field of aging.

The knowledge of medical about aging and its related factors in Yazd, Iran

Background: Medical students must have sufficient expertise to provide health services to the old as the global population of the elderly grows. Few research, however, have looked into this issue among medical, health, and nursing students. As a result, the purpose of this study was to look into the knowledge of medical, health, and nursing students on aging and related variables.Methods: In the year 2020, a cross-sectional study was done in Yazd, Iran. The research community was founded by Yazd University of Medical Sciences students. A total of 105 students from medical, health, and nursing were needed for the study. Two tools were used to collect data. a) A list of demographic characteristics Age, gender, level of education, and b) The Facts on Aging Quiz are among the items on this checklist (FAQI). FAQI is made up of 25 things in four dimensions, each of which can be answered with one of three options: "correct," "don't know," or "false." A higher score suggests a better position and a greater understanding of aging facts.Results: Students were 29 years old on average. Women made up almost 75% of those who took part. Only over a quarter of the attendees went to conferences and seminars on senior health. The majority of students in all three areas (medicine, health, and nursing) had never volunteered with the elderly before. Medical, nursing, and health students scored 11.093.4, 8.83.1, and 11.82.8 out of a possible 25 points on their understanding of aging facts, respectively. Only the area of study was statistically associated to the mean score of facts of aging among the demographic variables, indicating that the knowledge score of medicine and nursing students was lower than that of health students.Conclusion: The students that took part in this study lacked appropriate awareness of the facts of aging. Students' understanding in this area must be increased through the implementation of relevant educational programs.

Clinical Pharmacists' Knowledge of and Attitudes toward Older Adults.

Background: Although pharmacy literature suggests that pharmacists have a positive attitude towards older adults, there is a paucity of studies that have measured pharmacists’ knowledge or attitudes towards older people. The purpose of our study was to assess the knowledge and attitudes of hospital pharmacists toward older adults. Methods: An electronic survey was distributed over two months to clinical hospital pharmacists across the province of Alberta, Canada. The survey was composed of two validated tools, the Palmore Facts of Aging Quiz (PFAQ) and Kogan’s Attitude toward Old People Scale (KOPS). PFAQ is scored from 0 (poor knowledge) to 25 (high knowledge) and KOPS from 34 to 204, with higher than 119 indicating a positive attitude. Results: A total of 153 pharmacists completed the survey (response rate of 24%). The mean age was 39 (SD 10.8) years; the average years practiced was 15 (SD 11), and the majority of respondents (n = 65) reported that >50% of patients in their practice were geriatrics. The mean correct responses on the PFAQ were 18.8 (SD 2.6). KOPS had a mean score of 156.8 (SD 14), with only one pharmacist score falling below 119, indicating a negative attitude. There was a statistically significant, positive correlation between attitudes and knowledge (r = 0.38, p < 0.05), as well as the increasing age of the respondents (r = 0.18, p = 0.03). The remaining measured categories (i.e., gender, years of pharmacy practice) had no significant effect. Conclusion: Clinical hospital pharmacists in Alberta have a positive attitude toward geriatric patients, as well as a satisfactory knowledge of older adults.

The Moderating Role of Empathy Profiles in the Relationship Between Knowledge About Aging and Attitudes Toward Older Adults Among Nursing Students.

Knowledge about aging (KA) and empathy affect nursing students’ attitudes toward older adults. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon from an integrated, person-centered perspective. The purposes of the present study were (1) to identify empathy profiles based on the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) among Chinese nursing students and (2) to explore whether these latent empathy profiles moderate the association between KA and attitudes toward older people. A cross-sectional survey design was used, and a battery of questionnaires – including those on demographic information, the Chinese version of Palmore’s Facts on Aging Quiz (C-FAQ), the Chinese version of Kogan’s Attitude Toward Older People Scale (C-KAOP), and the IRI – was filled in by 622 Chinese nursing students (Mage 21.76; SD = 1.33). The mean total scores on KAOP and C-FAQ were 164.96 ± 18.32 and 10.436 ± 3.015, respectively, indicating relatively positive attitudes toward older people but low KA among Chinese nursing students. Latent profile analysis was used to identify a three-profile solution characterized by distinct levels of four dimensions of empathy, namely average empathy (AE, n = 399), high empathy (HE, n = 42), and low empathy (LE, n = 181). Subsequent linear regression analysis revealed that the LE rather than the HE profile predicted positive attitudes toward older adults. It is worth noting that the LE profile played a remarkable moderating role in associations between KA and negative attitudes toward older adults after controlling for covariant variables. Both the identification of distinct empathy profiles and the interplay between the LE profile and KA are of significance in reducing negative attitudes toward older adults among Chinese nursing students. Nursing educators should combine improving nursing students’ levels of KA and fostering greater empathy to reduce negative attitudes toward older adults. Such training should give priority to nursing students with LE.

A cross-cultural examination of college students’ knowledge of aging and their experiences with older adults: China, Japan, and the United States

ABSTRACT The current study compared responses from college students on a survey questionnaire about aging knowledge, aging attitudes, aging anxiety, experiences with older persons, and other related experiences. A total of 1124 college students from China (430), Japan (349), and the United States (345) participated in this study. They completed Palmore’s Facts on Aging Quiz, Kogan’s Attitudes toward Older persons Scale, and a modified Lasher and Faulkender’s Aging Anxiety Scale. Cronbach’s alphas indicated satisfactory reliability on all three scales for the three cultural groups of participants. They also reported their experiences with aging and the older adults including living with, taking care of, working with older persons, and taking a gerontology course. The results indicate that the Chinese students scored significantly higher than both the Japanese and Americans on Facts on Aging Quiz. Findings also show that overall, level of aging knowledge is positively related to aging attitudes and negatively related to aging anxiety. In addition, our study shows that very few students in all three countries have ever taken a gerontology related class. Further, past and current experiences with the older adults do not seem to be related to participants’ aging knowledge, with the exception of Chinese and Japanese women. These results are discussed in a global aging context of reducing ageism and the evolving nature of both Eastern Asian and American cultures.

Health and Protective Measures for Seniors during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Opinion of Polish Society.

The aim of the study was to determine the opinion of society on the individual care and protection measures towards seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the relationship of opinions with demographic data, knowledge about aging and own experience in contacts with the elderly was examined. The study involved 923 attendees from Poland. The tools used to assess the research problem were: demographic characteristics, a Facts on Aging Quiz (FAQ), the author’s questionnaire about preventive and protective measures for seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic. We observed that over 50% of participants were against designating shopping hours for seniors. The analysis showed that negative attitudes were more often expressed by women than by men; younger people and those declaring that they do not spend too much time with the elderly. In the matter of vaccination priority for the elderly, over 70% participants replied “rather yes” or “definitely yes”. The use of the age criterion in situations of limited access to medications and ventilators was supported mainly by learners, with high results of the FAQ, and professionals dealing with seniors. Finally, almost 56% of participants declared that their contacts with seniors were the same as before the pandemic, while merely 1.6% indicated that they avoid contact with them entirely.

Effect of an aged wearing suit on nursing student\u2019s knowledge and attitude

BackgroundThe knowledge and attitude of health care providers are important and influential factors in providing care services to the elderly and need to be considered during the training course. Simulation in geriatric nursing education can be an opportunity for learners to experience the restrictions of the elderly. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of training through simulation on the attitude and knowledge of nursing students in elderly care.MethodsThis study was quasi-experimental with two experimental and control groups of pre and post-test, which was conducted on 70 nursing students of the 5th semester (two groups of 35 people). For the experimental group, the elderly simulation suit was worn for two hours, which was designed by the researcher and created sensory, physical, and motor restrictions similar to the elderly for students. Before and after the study, Kogan’s attitudes toward older people scale and Palmore’s “facts on aging quiz” were completed by students. The data were analyzed using an independent t-test and paired t-test using SPSS version 16 software.ResultsThe mean scores of students’ knowledge in the experimental and control groups had no significant difference at the beginning of the study (p < 0.05). But the mean scores of knowledge in the experimental group before and after the intervention was (9.2 ± 2.6) and (15.3 ± 3.5), respectively, and in the control group before and after the intervention was (10.4 ± 2.9) and (11.3 ± 2.6), respectively, which had a statistically significant difference (p = 0.0001). The mean scores of students’ attitudes in the experimental and control groups had no significant difference at the beginning of the study (p < 0.05). The mean scores of attitude in the experimental group before and after the intervention was (114.69 ± 8.4) and (157.31 ± 10.7), respectively and in the control group before and after the intervention was (113.34 ± 13.6) and (108.5 ± 16.6), respectively, which was significantly different (p = 0.0001).ConclusionsBased on the findings, the experience of aging restrictions through simulation has improved the knowledge and attitude of nursing students towards the elderly. Nursing education requires the growth of attitudinal skills, individuals’ beliefs, and creating empathy among them, so creating simulation opportunities can assist nursing students in the educational processes.

A Survey of Nurses’ Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Hospitalized Older Adults

Aim: To investigate the knowledge and attitudes of nurses towards older adults in the Taiwanese hospital.Design: A descriptive correctional study.Methods: A survey by random sampling of one teaching hospital for clinical nurses (N=80). The structural scales included demographic details, Palmore’s Facts on Aging Quiz (PFAQ) knowledge scale, and Kogan’s Old People (KOP) attitude scale. Lastly, we used Pearson’s correlation analyses to identify the correlates.Results: The rate of knowledge about aging was low at 55.76%. However, the subjects held more favorable attitudes towards older adults (KOP score was 66.91). We also found that subjects who had better knowledge about aging also had a more positive attitude towards older adults.The results can be used by nursing educators and managers to design courses on gerontology for nurses and nursing students, by providing data that can be utilized in decision-making regarding the effectiveness of nursing care provided to this growing group of older recipients.

Willingness and associated factors of working with older people among undergraduate nursing students in China: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe aging population has become a serious challenge for health care service and will lead to an increasing demand for nurses to work with older people. However, working with older people has always been an unpopular career choice among nursing students. This study aimed to further explore the willingness and associated factors of undergraduate nursing students to work with older people in China.MethodsA convenience sampling method was employed from May to July 2017 among undergraduate nursing students from a nursing school in Nantong China. Demographic data, the Chinese version of the Kogan’s Old Person’s Scale, the Chinese version of the Facts of Aging Quiz and the motivation questionnaire were used to collect data. A series of Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Spearman correlation test and Ordinal logistic regression analysis were applied to analyze the data.ResultsOf the 853 students surveyed, 38.1 % were willing to work with older people after graduation. Expectancy, interest, attainment value, cost, prejudice, whether they like nursing profession and whether they participated in elderly-related activities were the most significant predictors of the students’ willingness to work with older people.ConclusionsNursing students expressed a low level of willingness to work with older people upon graduation. Nursing educators have an important part in challenging students’ stereotype of older people and inspire their career choice in caring for older people through both well-designed curriculum and elderly-related activities, and relevant education departments should actively optimize aged-related courses, strengthen professional ethics and gratitude education, and improve nursing students’ sense of identity and mission in caring for older people, so as to improve their willingness to work with older people.

Psycho-educational Program for Enhancing Quality of Life for Elderly at Geriatric Home

Background: Ageing is unavoidable developmental facts that bring along several changes in the physical, psychological, hormonal, and social status. Most of these changes are expected to affect the quality of life of the elderly. Aim: evaluate the effect of the psycho-educational program for enhancing the quality of life for the elderly at a geriatric home. Methods: a quasi-experimental research design was performed on a convenient sample consisted of 20 elderlies at Elhlal Elahmer and Noor Wel Amal geriatric homes that are located in Beni-Suef governorate, Egypt. Tools: Data were collected using 1) Socio-demographic Questionnaire, 2) Facts on Aging Quiz 3) The Older People’s Quality of Life Questionnaire. Results: The result of this study showed that there is a higher improvement in the level of knowledge post-program than preprogram from (15% to 90%) and in follow up from (15% to 70%) sufficient knowledge and there is a higher improvement in the level of quality of life post-program than preprogram from (30% to 85 %) and in follow up from (30% to 70%) higher quality of life. Also, there is a highly significant relationship between total quality of life and total knowledge (p < 0.01) in pre, post and follow up programs. Conclusions: Psycho-educational program is effective in enhancing the quality of life and improving knowledge related to aging changes of the elderly in a geriatric home. Recommendations: The study recommended that develop awareness programs for elderlies that include all physical, psychological, and social consequences related to aging and how to manage it.

Quality of Life among Elderly People at Geriatric Home

Background: Ageing is a natural process that causes several changes in the physical, psychological, hormonal, and social status. Most of these changes are predicted to affect the quality of life of the elderly. Aim - is to assess the quality of life among elderly people at a geriatric home. Methods: a descriptive research design was performed on a convenient sample consisted of 20 elderlies at Elhlal Elahmer and Noor Wel Amal geriatric homes that are located in Beni-Suef governorate, Egypt. Tools: Data were collected using 1) Socio-demographic Questionnaire, 2) Facts on Aging Quiz, 3) The Older People’s Quality of Life Questionnaire. Results: Study results revealed (70%) of studied elderlies having a lower quality of life and (85%) of them having insufficient knowledge about aging changes. Also, there is a negative significant correlation between sex, Source of income and total quality of life, and a positive significant correlation between the levels of education, People who visit regularly, and total QoL. Conclusion: elderlies have a lower quality of life and insufficient knowledge related to aging changes. Recommendations: Develop a psycho-educational program to enhance the quality of life for elderlies at geriatric home, and Provide an in-service training program for nurses who actually working with elderlies about psychological consequences related to aging and scientific base to manage it.

Poor level of knowledge on elderly care despite positive attitude among nursing students in Zanzibar Island: findings from a cross-sectional study

BackgroundIt is estimated by the year 2050, 80% of the global elderly population will be from the low-and middle income countries. Elderly care requires health workers with skills associated with an understanding of the biological, psychological, social and cultural theories related to aging. Nurses with better knowledge, skills and positive attitudes towards elderly care are highly needed and critically important for better healthcare and wellbeing of the elderly population. Therefore the objective of this study was to assess the level of knowledge and attitude of nursing students towards elderly care in Zanzibar Island.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Zanzibar involving three out of five nursing training institutions. Participants were selected by systematic random sampling. Facts on Aging Quiz 2 and Kogan’s Attitudes Toward Old People scale were used to assess the level of knowledge and attitude towards elderly care among the students respectively. Simple and multivariable logistic regressions were applied to determine the predictors of knowledge and attitude among the participants.ResultsA total of 393 students participated in this study. Only 17% (69) of the participants had good level of knowledge and about 67.9% (267) had positive attitude towards elderly care. Living in an extended family and with an elderly person at home were both associated with good level of knowledge and positive attitude towards elderly care. Furthermore, living in a rural area (adjusted odds ratio = 2.23; 95% confidence interval: 1.22, 4.10) and studying at public institution (adjusted odds ratio = 2.59; 95% confidence interval: 1.41, 4.63) were associated with positive attitude towards elderly care.ConclusionThis study has shown that the majority of nursing students in Zanzibar have positive attitude but poor level of knowledge towards elderly care. The current findings have demonstrated that past experience with an elderly person can help in influencing good knowledge and shaping positive attitudes towards elderly care. Low level of knowledge shown in the study suggests for further research on adequacy of nursing curriculum and/or its implementation.

Dietetic Students’ Attitudes to and Knowledge of Working with Older People

Across the world, people are living longer but not necessarily healthier lives. Healthcare professionals will need to be prepared to work with older people, recognising that, at all stages of the lifespan, attention to nutrition and other health behaviours can impact positively on wellbeing. This study examined the attitudes, knowledge and future career preferences of pre-registration dietetic students in the United Kingdom towards working with older people. A questionnaire, based on the validated Palmore Facts on Aging Quiz and adapted to a UK population, was sent to the fifteen universities which provide dietetic courses in the UK approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Responses were received from thirteen universities, and, of the estimated 1250 students, 285 questionnaires were completed (response rate 23%) with the predominant demographic being 91% female, and 86% undergraduate degree type. The mean knowledge score was higher in postgraduate vs. undergraduate students (69.6% vs. 65.2%; p [less than] 0.011). A weak positive correlation (rs = 0.155) was found between number of placement weeks carried out and knowledge score (p [less than] 0.01). Care of the elderly was the least preferred of five specialities, and 65-plus was the fourth preferred age group out of five. A greater focus should be placed on the delivery of aging education and placement experiences in dietetic courses to increase the number of graduate dietetic students who have positive work preferences towards older adults.

Bridging the intergenerational gap: the outcomes of a student-initiated, longitudinal, inter-professional, inter-generational home visit program

BackgroundOlder persons consume disproportionately more healthcare resources than younger persons. Tri-Generational HomeCare (TriGen), a service-learning program, aims to reduce hospital admission rates amongst older patients with frequent admissions. The authors evaluated the educational and patient outcomes of TriGen.MethodsTeams consisting of healthcare undergraduates and secondary school (SS) students - performed fortnightly home visits to patients over 6 months. Self-administered scales were used to evaluate the educational outcomes in knowledge and attitudes towards the older people and nine domains of soft skills pre- and post-intervention. Patients’ reported satisfaction and clinical outcomes were also assessed.ResultsTwo hundred twenty-six healthcare undergraduates and 359 SS students participated in the program from 2015 to 2018. Response rates were 80.1 and 62.4% respectively. One hundred six patients participated in TriGen. There was a significant increase in Kogan’s Attitudes towards Old People Scale (KOP) scores for healthcare undergraduates and SS students with a mean increase of 12.8 (95%CI: 9.5–16.2, p < 0.001) and 8.3 (95%CI: 6.2–10.3, p < 0.001) respectively. There was a significant increase in Palmore Facts on Aging Quiz (PFAQ) score for SS students but not for healthcare undergraduates. Most volunteers reported that TriGen was beneficial across all nine domains assessed. There was also a significant decrease in hospital admission rates (p = 0.006) and emergency department visits (p = 0.004) during the 6-month period before and after the program. Fifty-one patients answered the patient feedback survey. Of this, more than 80% reported feeling less lonely and happier.ConclusionTriGen, a student-initiated, longitudinal, inter-generational service-learning program consisting of SS students and healthcare undergraduates can reduce ageism, develop soft skills, inculcate values amongst SS students and healthcare undergraduates. In addition, TriGen potentially reduces hospital admissions and emergency department visits, and loneliness amongst frequently admitted older patients.

Using Virtual Patient Software to Improve Pharmacy Students’ Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Geriatric Patients

Objective. To evaluate the effect of using a virtual patient software program to improve pharmacy students' knowledge of and attitudes toward geriatric patients. Methods. The Virtual Patient for Geriatric Education (VIPAGE) software program was used in two Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) degree programs in Brazilian universities. The virtual consultations were divided into an initial evaluation, care plan, letter of referral to another professional, and evaluation of follow-up. Each weekly session lasted two hours. Students answered questionnaires before and after using the virtual patient software relating to the following: demographics, geriatric experiences, Geriatric Attitudes Scale, and the Facts on Aging Quiz. Results. Of the 128 students who completed the baseline questionnaires, 109 students also completed the second questionnaire. The mean Geriatric Attitudes Scale score before the intervention was 3.7 (SD=0.8) and after was 3.9 (SD=0.7). Significant improvements in Geriatric Attitudes Scale scores after using the virtual patient software were seen in students who were male, whose grandparents were still alive, or whose parents were elderly, who had frequent contact with the elderly, who did not have frequent contact with the elderly, and who did not have professional contact with the elderly. The average score on geriatrics knowledge was 44.7 (SD=12.0) before completing the virtual patient consultations and 52.6 (SD=11.9) after. The mean score measuring students' lack of geriatrics knowledge was 27.3 (SD=15.8) before and 19.1 (SD=12.8) after using the software. Conclusion. Completing virtual patient consultations using the VIPAGE software positively impacted pharmacy students' geriatrics knowledge and attitudes.

Ageism between Medical and Preliminary Medical Persons in Korea

BackgroundWe aimed to analyse the trends in ageism among health care providers and medical students in the Republic of Korea.MethodsWe used the Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA), Relating to Older People Evaluation (ROPE) questionnaire, Anxiety about Aging Scale (AAS), and the Facts on Aging Quiz II to assess ageism in medical students (n=90), nurses (n=114), and physicians (n=83). We grouped health care providers based on the percentage of aged patients (over 65 years) that they treated. ResultsCompared to the other groups, physicians had more knowledge about aging and the highest and lowest total scores in the FSA and ROPE, respectively. The total FSA scores were negatively correlated with the percentage of aged patients treated. Regarding the ROPE score, negative and positive ageist behaviors were positively correlated with the percentage of aged patients. Conclusions: Ageism and ageist behavior among physicians differed from previous reports and those of the other groups mentioned in the present study. Although physicians had more knowledge of aging, they had expressed a high levels of ageism. However, they did not act ageistically. Health care providers who treat a large number of older patients had minimal ageism but more ageist behavior. These findings indicate that continued education of geriatrics and ageism for medical staff and prospective medical personnel could help improve this situation.

Association of nurses' level of knowledge and attitudes to ageism toward older adults: Cross-sectional study.

This study aims to examine how the sociodemographic and professional characteristics of nurses in Jordan correlate with their levels of knowledge, attitudes, and ageism toward older adults. Ageism has not been studied in Jordan as it pertains to nurses, so a descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional design, with a convenience sample of 317 Jordanian nurses, using the Fact on Aging Quiz 1, Fraboni Scale of Ageism, and Relating to Older People Evaluation was conducted in January to February 2019. Significant ageism was found, and differences in knowledge, attitudes, and negative ageism vary among nurses by sociodemographic/professional characteristics. Knowledge and attitudes toward older adults significantly correlate with negative ageism which is associated with poor health outcomes for older adults. Our findings reveal that even in a country with high religious observance and close family ties, ageism exists in healthcare settings because of nurses' poor knowledge and attitudes toward older adults. These findings have implications for nursing education, clinical practice, and health policy. Changes across these sectors based on the findings may contribute to reducing ageist practices and improving older adult health outcomes.