Factors Associated with the Intention to Work with Older Adults Among First Year Social Work Students in Israel

Figures & data

Figure 1. The study’s theoretical model.

Table 1. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations between the study variables (N = 356).

	Mean (SD)	SD	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	(7)	(8)	(9)	(10)	(11)
(1) Contact with older adults within the family*	3.54	1.09	.29**	.16**	−.43***	−.05	.23**	.24**	.15**	.25**	−.19**	−.12**
(2) Contact with older adults outside the family*	2.59	1.03	1	.26**	−.48***	−.10*	.37**	.36*	.25**	.40**	.17**	.02
(3) Subjective knowledge*	2.56	0.87		1	−.19**	−.05	.20**	.51**	.27**	.22**	.17**	−.01
(4) Anxiety about old people*	2.14	0.84			1	.13*	−.58**	−.38**	−.28**	−.60***	−.38	.02
(5) Anxiety about self- aging*	2.37	0.70				1	−.19**	−.22**	0.00	−.13*	−.01	−.15**
(6) Attitude toward working with older adults**	5.15	0.94					1	.33***	.30***	.61***	.07	−.04
(7) Perceived behavioral control**	4.25	1.22						1	.24***	.40***	.18**	.04
(8) Subjective norm**	2.92	1.13							1	.53***	.08	−.00
(9) Intention to work with older adults**	3.44	1.48								1	.05	−.06
(10) Age	25.47	5.0									1	.20**
(11) Gender***	1.1	0.29										1

*p < .05 **p < .01 ***p < .001.

Range: * 1–5; ** 1–7; 1 = Female, 2 = Male.

Figure 2. The modified model thorough SEM*.

All paths were tested according to the hypotheses, and only significant paths and correlations are shown. All correlations and paths were found be significant at p < .01, except for the path between subjective knowledge and attitudes, p = .04. All possible mediation paths seen in the model were tested and found to be significant at p < .05. Significant paths were found between age and contact with older adults within and outside the family and between age and subjective knowledge. These paths are not shown for the sake of brevity. A significant path was also found between female gender and anxiety about self-aging.