Attitudes Of Older People Research Articles

Validity and reliability of the TechPH scale in assessing Iranian older adults’ attitudes toward technology

Background and aimGiven the rapid technological advancements and increased usage of digital tools, understanding older people's attitudes toward technology is vital. Assessing their views can help identify barriers and facilitators to adoption. This understanding is essential for developing effective educational strategies and user-friendly technologies that enhance seniors' quality of life. Therefore, the present study aimed to psychometrically evaluate the scale for measuring attitudes—both willingness and anxiety—toward technology (TechPH) in Iranian older adults.MethodsThis methodological study was conducted on 420 older individuals (aged 60 and above) in Tehran in 2024 to perform a psychometric test of the attitudes toward technology scale (TechPH). Validation was carried out using translation validity methods, including translation-back translation with bilingual experts (n = 2), face validity with a sample of the older population (n = 10), content validity with a panel of 11 experts, and construct validity through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) (n = 420). Instrument reliability was determined through test–retest and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) methods with a sample of older individuals (n = 30). Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 16 and EQS 6.4 software.ResultsA comparison of Persian and English translations revealed acceptable translation validity and cultural adaptability for the scale. Each item's Content Validity Index (CVI) and Content Validity Ratio (CVR) were determined, with a total average CVI of 0.95. The results of EFA indicated that the sample size was adequate, as shown by the KMO value of 0.754. Additionally, Bartlett's sphericity test demonstrated a significant correlation between the items (χ2 = 221.819, df = 15, P < 0.0001). EFA revealed that two extracted factors explained 41.002% and 18.111% of the total variance. Furthermore, CFA yielded suitable estimates based on the general fit indices of the model (RMSEA = 0.061, IFI = 0.979, GFI = 0.983, CFI = 0.978, CMIN/DF = 1.769, MFI = 0.989, AGFI = 0.942). In evaluating test–retest stability and internal consistency, the values of the Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach's α were 0.85 and 0.77, respectively, indicating appropriate reliability for the scale.ConclusionP.TechPH, the first Persian version of the scale for measuring technophilia and technophobia among Iranian older people, has favorable psychometric properties. It can serve as a standard tool for assessing older people’s attitudes toward technology in various studies.

The factors affecting acceptance of gerontechnological products by older Turkish adults

This study investigates the attitudes of Turkish older people towards the acceptance of gerontechnological products. It included a total of 871 older individuals aged 65 and above from seven geographical regions of Türkiye. A questionnaire adopted from previous studies was applied to collect the data. The use of products of the older people was studied under the headings of (i) home and daily life technology, (ii) communication technology, (iii) health technology and (iv) education and recreation technology. As a result of the factor analysis, 16 questions were classified under: "attitudes towards using technology (AUT), facilitating conditions (FC), perceived ease of use (PEU) and gerontechnology anxiety (GA)". The effect of independent variables on the use of gerontechnological products was investigated by one-way variance analysis, and the relationship between the use of neurotechnological products and the attitudes of the older people towards accepting gerontechnological products was investigated by correlation analysis. Region, place of residence, age, gender, education level, economic and health status were found to be important in use gerontechnological products (p < 0.05). There was a high correlation between product groups as well as between product groups and attitudes. Results can be utilized in the production and dissemination of gerontechnological products to increase the level of life quality of the older people.

Older people's attitudes towards emerging technologies: A systematic literature review.

Public attitudes towards technology have been studied extensively for decades, but older people were not largely involved in early studies. In recent years, with the trend of digitalisation and the rapid growth of the older population around the world, the attitudes of older people towards emerging technologies have attracted the attention of researchers. This article is a systematic review of 83 relevant studies, to summarise the factors that impact older adults' attitudes towards adopting and using technology. It is found that older people's attitudes are influenced by their personal characteristics, technology-related factors and the social context of technology adoption. The complex relationship between older people and technology is interpreted by researchers with the framing of older people's identity, the role of technology, the interaction of the above factors and the opportunity for older adults to act as co-designers.

Should inclusion have an expiry date? Older people's attitudes on intellectual disabilities.

Older people with intellectual disabilities represent a new and neglected population in need of services, yet it may be problematic to include them in generic services without having a clear idea of how elderly people from the general population feel towards them. To the best of our knowledge, this topic has not been addressed quantitatively. Seventy-three participants over 63 years of age (23 females and 50 males) from the general population without an intellectual disability completed two valid measures: the CLAS-MR and the WHOQOL-OLD. Level of education and quality of life were positively associated with attitudes towards people with intellectual disabilities. Age was negatively associated with knowledge regarding intellectual disability. When preparing for the inclusion of older people with intellectual disabilities in generic services, attention should be given to members' level of education, quality of life, and knowledge regarding intellectual disabilities. Sensitivity should be applied to potential tendencies to shelter people with intellectual disabilities.

Adoption of Wearable Devices by Older People: Changes in Use Behaviors and User Experiences

s Despite the enormous potential of wearables, the adoption rate of wearables among older people is low. To better understand the aspects influencing the adoption of wearables by older Chinese adults, this study investigates the changes in the usage behaviors, perceptions, and attitudes of older people toward wearables over four weeks. Twenty older people (age > 60 years) were included, and each of them was assigned a device for use at home. Information about features they desired and used, their perceptions of functional (i.e., affordances) and experiential qualities, perceived values, and adoption intention of wearables were collected before actual use and at weekly meetings during use. Results showed that health data monitoring was the most expected use of wearables before actual use and considered the most valued affordance throughout the period, although the less-than-anticipated actual experience reduced the usage. Interestingly, notification/reminders were not considered as important initially; however, the increasing usage increased its importance. Regression analysis showed that perceived utilitarian value was influential throughout the study, while hedonic value influenced the adoption intention only before actual use. These findings facilitate understanding how older people adopt wearables and provide practical design suggestions that could benefit the elderly population.

BEHAVIOR OF OLDER CONSUMERS OF MOBILE APPLICATIONS IN POLAND – ANALYSIS OF OWN RESEARCH

The traditional cell phone from the beginning of the 21st century is being forgotten, giving way to modern smartphones, in which, under colorful icons, there are mobile applications supporting care for health, exchange of information with loved ones or official service. In recent years, mobile applications have significantly influenced the way of communication and spending free time. Social changes involving the elderly, influences the need to define the behavior and understand the attitudes of older people who use mobile applications. The introduction to this article presents the picture of an aging society and indicates the forecasts in this area. The next part of the article describes the specificity of mobile technologies and presents the results of a pilot study on the use of mobile applications by the elderly. In the summary, it was concluded that modern seniors should not be considered digitally excluded, because they more and more often and more willingly use new technological solutions and easily communicate with elderly people through them.

Studies on the Digital Inclusion Among Older Adults and the Quality of Life-A Nanjing Example in China.

Digital inclusion can bridge the digital divide and reduce the social exclusion of older adults, yet it is understudied in China. This research examined factors influencing the digital inclusion of older adults in China and the relationship between digital inclusion and quality of life. Data collected from 312 older people (M = 69.6 years old) in Nanjing were included in a multinomial logit model to tackle these questions. Their attitudes toward technology were the most significant factor predicting their digital inclusion. Other factors included party affiliation, living situation, personal average monthly income, occupation, and capacity for instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). This study shows digital inclusion has a direct impact on quality of life. It also serves as an intermediate variable that affects older people's attitudes toward technology and their IADL capacities. Most importantly, digital inclusion promotes social integration of older adults and improves the quality of their lives. Hence, it should not be ignored. Older people's attitudes toward technology are one of the keys to promoting their digital inclusion.

Older People: A Counterweight to Consumer Hedonism in Society? Analysis of Consumption Preferences

The Lithuanian consumer society is evolving, but we know little about it. On the one hand, previous research shows that it is a survival society that prioritizes functional needs, on the other hand, there are indications that a segment of consumers oriented towards self-expression is forming in Lithuania. Since consumption is both a consequence and a factor of class stratification, it is important to know whether (and how) it contributes to the strengthening of the social otherness of the group. The aim of this article is to find out whether (and how) consumption attitudes of older people differ from those of other age groups in Lithuania and what they are in the context of consumption values. In this study we analyzed the data of the representative Lithuanian population survey TNS Atlas (2012, N = 1847), divided into age groups (15–29, 30–44, 45–59, and 60–75 years). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed for the comparison of consumption preferences, post hoc criteria and Spearman coefficient were applied, and the typology of values was used for the analysis of the content of statements. The results of this research showed that consumption attitudes of the Lithuanian population are not highly differentiated according to age, the attitudes of the oldest respondents (60–75 years old) differ little from others. The entire population aged 45–75 is more characterized by a combination of conservative and altruistic-ecological attitudes than the younger ones (18–44 years old), less characterized by openness to innovation and the pursuit of social self-enhancement. Although the differences in attitudes according to age are not bright in quantitative terms, in terms of content, there is a noticeable detachment of the older population from the refined consumer community.

The effects of narrative pedagogy on increasing nursing students' willingness to practice older people care: A mixed-methods research

AimThis study aims to discuss how narrative pedagogy of improving the positive attitude toward older people among nursing students and increasing students’ willingness to practice older people's care. BackgroundConsidering the progress of population aging, the requirement for nursing manpower in older people care is on the rise. However, related studies have demonstrated that nursing students generally have a negative attitude toward older people, which affects students’ willingness to engage in older people's care in the future. DesignThis study applied mixed method research design. For the quantitative study design, we have adopted a quasi-experimental study, pretest-posttest design. MethodsThe study adopted purposive sampling. A total of 87 nursing students in two classes of five-year junior college program in northern Taiwan were selected as the study subjects. The students were randomly allocated into an experimental group of 43 subjects and a control group of 44 subjects. The experimental group received narrative pedagogy of geriatric care course for 18 weeks with 2 h per week, the control group received general lectures. This study was conducted between October 2019 and February 2020. The quantitative data were collected using the structured questionnaire. The qualitative data were collected by individual interviews and students’ reflective writing. ResultsThe average scores of the older people's attitude (F=4.60, p < 0.05) and the willingness to care for the older people (F=4.19, p < 0.05) in the experimental group increased significantly, reaching a statistically significant level. According to the adjusted post-test score averages of the two groups, under the control of the pre-test, the Older Adults Attitude Scale (64.02 >60.22) and the post-test of the Older Adults Care Willingness Scale (11.63 >9.93) in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group. In the qualitative analysis, four themes were emerged, which were negative stereotypes about the older people, myth-breaking for prejudice against the older people, new older people impression for replacement and rethinking for older people care. ConclusionNarrative pedagogy is an effective teaching method, which can improve nursing students' older people's positive attitudes and increase students’ willingness to practice older people's care.

Stakeholders' views on the use of psychotropic medication in older people: a systematic review.

Backgroundpsychotropic medication use has been shown to increase with age and has been associated with increased risk of falls, strokes and mortality. Various guidelines, regulations and tools have been developed to reduce inappropriate prescribing, but this remains high. In order to understand the reasons for this, we aimed to systematically review healthcare professionals’, patients’ and family caregivers’ attitudes towards the use of psychotropic medication in older people.Methodsa systematic literature search was carried out from inception to September 2020 using PUBMED, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CINAHL and hand-searching of reference lists. Included studies investigated stakeholder views on psychotropic in adults over the age of 65. Findings were thematically synthesised.Resultsoverall, there was an acceptance of long-term psychotropic medication for older people both living in the community and in residential care. While healthcare professionals were aware of guidelines for the use of benzodiazepines and psychotropic medicines, they identified barriers to following them on individual, team and organisational levels. Alternative non-pharmacological approaches were not always available or accepted by patients.Conclusionpsychotropic medicine use in older adults remains a complex issue, which needs to be addressed on a broad level. Attitudes of older people and healthcare professionals encourage long-term use. Meanwhile, various internal and external factors act as barriers to the use of non-drug alternatives in this population. In order to reduce overprescribing of psychotropics, there is a need to increase the acceptability and accessibility of alternative interventions in both care homes and the community.

The Relationship between Perception of Care, Sense of Security, and Subjective Psychological Well-Being among Older Adults Living in Sheltered Housing vs. Independent Housing in Israel

While the home environment provides a crucial context for aging, considerable knowledge gaps remain regarding how perceptions of care and sense of security impact older people’s subjective psychological well-being. The current study aimed to assess the attitudes of older people during the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel and compared older people living in sheltered housing with those living in independent housing in the community. The participants included 235 respondents living in sheltered housing and 726 participants living in independent housing. Participants living in sheltered housing were more likely to feel that they were being cared for than those living in independent housing in the community. Perception of care received partially mediated the effect of type of housing on the sense of financial security and health security. In addition, a sense of security (both financial and health) partially mediated the effect of perception of care received on the sense of meaning in life, life satisfaction, and optimism.

THE ELDERLY PEOPLE TOWARDS INNOVATIVE MOBILE APPLICATIONS IN THE AREA OF HEALTH PROMOTION IN THE LIGHT OF OWN RESEARCH

Looking at innovations from the perspective of customer value, more and more enterprises treat the elderly as a factor of their success, despite the fact that the literature on the subject confirms that most innovations are rejected by consumers2. Aging of societies opens up new opportunities and chances to develop innovative enterprises in which managers are aware of the potential of older people and their new social roles. Thanks to the fact the managers can be effectively realized their innovative strategies in the process of building a silver economy. Due to that there is a need to understand the driving forces of innovation against adoption innovation, this article is an attempt to define the attitudes of older people towards innovation in the area of health mobile applications. The research conducted by the author concerns the resistance of older consumers to use mobile applications in the area of health promotion.

Knowledge, skills and attitudes of older people and staff about getting up from the floor following a fall: a qualitative investigation

BackgroundFalls are the most common reason for ambulance callouts resulting in non-conveyance. Even in the absence of injury, only half of those who fall can get themselves up off the floor, often remaining there over an hour, increasing risk of complications.There are recognized techniques for older people to learn how to get up after a fall, but these are rarely taught. The aim of this study was to develop an understanding of attitudes of older people, carers and health professionals on getting up following a fall.MethodsA qualitative focus group and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 participants, including community-dwelling older people with experience of a non-injurious fall, carers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, paramedics and first responders. Data were transcribed and analysed systematically using the Framework approach. A stakeholder group of falls experts and service users advised during analysis.ResultsThe data highlighted three areas contributing to an individual’s capability to get-up following a fall: the environment (physical and social); physical ability; and degree of self-efficacy (attitude and beliefs about their own ability). These factors fell within the wider context of making a decision about needing help, which included what training and knowledge each person already had to manage their fall response.Staff described how they balance their responsibilities, prioritising the individual’s immediate needs; this leaves limited time to address capability in the aforementioned three areas. Paramedics, routinely responding to falls, only receive training on getting-up techniques from within their peer-group. Therapists are aware of the skillset to breakdown the getting-up process, but, with limited time, select who to teach these techniques to.ConclusionNeither therapists nor ambulance service staff routinely teach strategies on how to get up, meaning that healthcare professionals largely have a reactive role in managing falls. Interventions that address the environment, physical ability and self-efficacy could positively impact on peoples’ capability to get up following a fall. Therefore, a more proactive approach would be to teach people techniques to manage these aspects of future falls and to provide them easily accessible information.

ОТНОШЕНИЕ МОЛОДЕЖИ И ЛИЦ ЗРЕЛОГО ВОЗРАСТА ЯКУТИИ К СТАРОСТИ И ГОТОВНОСТИ УХАЖИВАТЬ ЗА ПРЕСТАРЕЛЫМИ

Currently, the questions of how older people fit into the context of modern reality, to what extent their inherent life ideas are consistent with existing social norms are becoming relevant. The history of the development of attitudes towards the elderly, the position of old people is constantly changing. It is known that the life of old people largely depends on their social status in society. The article presents the results of studying the attitude of young people and people of mature age in Yakutia to old age and readiness to care for the elderly. The study involved representatives of young and mature age in the amount of 222, including 109 men, 113 women. 142 (64%) respondents live in cities, 80 (36%) - in rural areas. 68 (31%) of the respondents have higher education, the rest - secondary, 85.3% of the respondents are of mature age and 14.7% of young people live with their parents. The analysis of ethnographic works, folklore materials was used as research methods; survey method. The reliability of the difference in indicators was checked using the angular Fisher transformation. Analysis of the research results allows us to note that respondents treat elderly people with patience and care, however, young people tend to be indifferent to aging parents. The attitude towards the placement of parents in nursing homes is also noticeably different: young people are ready to place their parents in nursing homes if the circumstances are difficult. Comparison was also made of the opinions of representatives of different nationalities about their attitude to old age, and their willingness to care for elderly parents, it found that they also differ. Comparison of the research indicators showed that there is a high connection with the family among representatives of the small peoples of the north, they are also more re- sponsible for their parents, although in other nations, the readiness to care for the elderly is high among the Yakuts (p &lt;0.05). In the future, the study of attitudes towards old age will be relevant, since the aging of the population is observed throughout the world.

Занятость и готовность к обучению граждан пожилого возраста в условиях цифровизации: состояние, проблемы, перспективы

Introduction. In the structure of the population of Russia, the proportion of older people is increasing, but the duration of the economically active working life of this age category is less than in some European countries. Many elderly Russians having an active life position want and can work. Most of them have a high level of professional education and qualifications, experience, and yet many are not in demand on the labor market, because they do not have enough digital skills. The purpose of this article is to study the situation with employing elderly citizens, identify factors that determine successful mastering information and digital technologies on the bases of the results of retraining and advanced training. Methods. The authors of the article analyze the regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation and the Russian Federation’s constituent entities (national programs and projects), study the content of the government bodies’ websites, including public employment departments, educational organizations, statistical data are used to assess the state of senior citizens’ employment and education, the authors carry out an empirical study with a survey. Scientific novelty of the study. The authors identify factors that affect the elderly citizens’ employment in industries where digital technologies are actively introduced; point out the factors that positively impact successful elderly citizens’ education. It has been proved that in order to obtain a positive learning outcome, not only the legal and organizational conditions created by the state are required, but also the presence of an educational strategy among the elderly people themselves, an element of which is the development of information and digital technologies. The results of the study make it possible to realize the main problems that hinder employment and training, as well as to predict some trends regarding the position of older people in the new realities of the digital economy.

Older People's Attitudes And Perspectives Of Welfare Technology In Norway.

BackgroundIn Norway, as in other European countries, the ageing population is increasing rapidly. Governments seek to enable older people stay in their homes for as long as possible, and welfare technology (WT) has been proposed as a possible solution. Human behaviour modelling (HBM) is a welfare technology that identifies an individual’s behaviour patterns and detects abnormal behaviours, including falls and early signs of dementia. However, the successful development of HBM WT requires the consideration of the older people’s attitudes on this.AimThe present study sought to explore attitudes and perspectives about welfare technology among older people living alone in Norway.MethodsWe used an exploratory, qualitative approach in which semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with five women and four men between the ages of 79 and 91. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis.ResultsTwo categories and four subcategories were identified: 1) preferences and concerns of welfare technology (i) feeling confident-proactive approach of future technology, (ii) concerns and dilemmas, and 2) reflections of today and tomorrow- awareness of own health (i) feeling healthy, independent, self-sufficient and safe, (ii) facing own ageing- preparedness on unpredictable scenarios. The main theme, welfare technology - a valuable addition to tomorrow’s homes, represents how the participants held positive and proactive attitudes towards the use of WT in their homes.ConclusionParticipants trusted the Norwegian healthcare system and did not rely on their families for care. Independence, autonomy, and feeling safe were essential for all participants, and most participants regarded welfare technology as empowering them to remain in their homes for as long as possible. Participants already confidently used various technologies in their daily lives. Surprisingly, they expressed no concerns about privacy, but some mention concerns about loss of autonomy and dignity. We conclude that a person-centred approach to integrating new WT is necessary.

A Novel Instrument for Measuring Older People's Attitudes Toward Technology (TechPH): Development and Validation.

BackgroundThe use of health technology by older people is coming increasingly in focus with the demographic changes. Health information technology is generally perceived as an important factor in enabling increased quality of life and reducing the cost of care for this group. Age-appropriate design and facilitation of technology adoption are important to ensure functionality and removal of various barriers to usage. Development of assessment tools and instruments for evaluating older persons’ technology adoption and usage as well as measuring the effects of the interventions are of high priority. Both usability and acceptance of a specific technology or service are important factors in evaluating the impact of a health information technology intervention. Psychometric measures are seldom included in evaluations of health technology. However, basic attitudes and sentiments toward technology (eg, technophilia) could be argued to influence both the level of satisfaction with the technology itself as well as the perception of the health intervention outcome.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to develop a reduced and refined instrument for measuring older people's attitudes and enthusiasm for technology based on relevant existing instruments for measuring technophilia. A requirement of the new instrument is that it should be short and simple to make it usable for evaluation of health technology for older people.MethodsInitial items for the TechPH questionnaire were drawn from a content analysis of relevant existing technophilia measure instruments. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted in a random selection of persons aged 65 years or older (N=374) on eight initial items. The scale was reduced to six items, and the internal consistency and reliability of the scale were examined. Further validation was made by a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).ResultsThe exploratory factor analysis resulted in two factors. These factors were analyzed and labeled techEnthusiasm and techAnxiety. They demonstrated relatively good internal consistency (Cronbach alpha=.72 and .68, respectively). The factors were confirmed in the CFA and showed good model fit (χ28=21.2, χ2/df=2.65, comparative fit index=0.97, adjusted goodness-of-fit index=0.95, root mean square error of approximation=0.067, standardized root mean square residual=0.036).ConclusionsThe construed TechPH score showed expected relations to external real-world criteria, and the two factors showed interesting internal relations. Different technophilia personality traits distinguish clusters with different behaviors of adaptation as well as usage of new technology. Whether there is an independent association with the TechPH score against outcomes in health technology projects needs to be shown in further studies. The instrument must also be validated in different contexts, such as other countries.

Briga o starim licima u sistemu socijalne zaštite Republike Srbije

The prolongation of lifespan determines the position of old people in modern society. Therefore, age problems become a significant social phenomenon that seizes the scientific and professional attention of gerontologists, geriatrics, sociologists, social workers, criminologists, psychologists, and others. We live in a time of political and economic crises and changes in which there are categories of the population that are endangered, impoverished, sick, lonely, vulnerable, which is especially pronounced in the old population. Although, in our country, care for the elderly is largely reduced to the family and has a multigenerational character. More and more, the family is unable to bear the burden of that care alone. Many old people live alone or in nursing homes, since young people have left the country and parents in search of a better life for the past twenty years. Through the legal solutions and the Strategy on the old, the Republic of Serbia is trying, through institutional and non-institutional forms of protection, to help people of the third age.

Sexual Quality of Life, Sexual Knowledge, and Attitudes of Older Adults on the Example of Inhabitants Over 60s of Bialystok, Poland.

Introduction: Aging has a strong influence on the quality of relationships and sexual functioning, but in itself does not cause a lack of sexual desire.Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the quality of sexual life and define sexual knowledge and attitudes of older people on the example of residents of Bialystok, Poland at the age of 60 and over.Methods: The study included 170 people, inhabitants of Bialystok, Poland aged over 60: 85 students of the University of Healthy Senior and the University of Psychogeriatric Prophylaxis and 85 students of the University of the Third Age. The study used three standardized psychometric scales: Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire-Male (SQoL-M), Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire-Female (SQoL-F), and Aging Sexual Knowledge and Attitudes Scale (ASKAS).Results: The overall mean score for the ASKAS scale for knowledge was 65.21 ± 12.32 and for attitudes −124.65 ± 22.00. The overall mean SQOL score was 62.92 ± 18.18. Taking into account the gender of the respondents, the knowledge of men on sexuality of seniors was at the level of 63.48 ± 12.63, while in the female group −65.74 ± 12.23. The attitudes of men on sexuality of seniors was at the level of 128.80 ± 21.56, while in the female group −123.38 ± 22.05. Satisfaction with sex life among men (72.36 ± 27.49) was significantly higher than among women (60.02 ± 12.88).Discussion: The seniors were characterized by moderate knowledge and attitudes to sexuality of older people and the average level of sexual satisfaction. There was no significant relationship between knowledge on sexuality and sexual satisfaction in the study groups, and there was a positive correlation between attitudes toward sexuality and the satisfaction of sex life outside the group of men. In addition, a significant positive relationship was found between attitudes toward sexuality and sexual satisfaction. In order to improve the knowledge of senior citizens about sexuality of old age and to overcome the taboos that are prevalent in this topic, a structured training should be provided in this field. Such training should be carried out by specialists in the field of sexology. It is desirable to conduct in-depth studies in the assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and quality of sexual life in a larger research group, in order to get results for the population of the whole country.

Društveni aspekti starenja i obolijevanja

With the help of relevant literature the paper analyses social aspects of ageing and getting ill. The author concludes that none of the scientific theories by themselves hold the solution for studying these complex processes and the position of old people in the modern society, and that the interdisciplinary approach is the best. To accomplish the set goal, the article discusses: a) theories that help us understand old age and ageing, and allow us to define social and healthcare policies in everyday conditions, which directly affects the attitude of individuals, families and the society towards the constantly growing group of old and ill people, and b) the understanding of old age and ageing through history and the present which helps affirming those behavior patterns and activities that are an alternative to the one-sided, stigmatizing and at times segregating attitude towards people over 65 years of age. This may help institutional reforms of social and health care systems to allow for a different quality, and in some segments an entirely different attitude towards old people so they would not feel redundant and forsaken by families and the society in the otherwise difficult conditions of transition, as well as to find answers to increasingly more complex and important social, healthcare, legal, economic and ethical questions, in our parts, that are: a) current, b) insufficiently discussed, c) lacking a systematic and comprehensive representation.