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<0.001), and those who wish to work with elderly individuals in the future (p<0.001, p<0.001).
Conclusion: To mitigate students' ageism attitudes, it is recommended to organize projects and educational activities.
I would like to thank the Meram Şifa Hatun Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School students and teachers for the support on the this research.
Primary Language | English |
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Subjects | Geriatrics and Gerontology |
Journal Section | Research Article |
Authors | |
Publication Date | May 31, 2024 |
Submission Date | October 11, 2023 |
Acceptance Date | January 29, 2024 |
Published in Issue | Year 2024 Volume: 8 Issue: 2 |