Does Ageism Exist Among Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation Students? Predictors of Attitudes Toward Older Adults

Figures & data

Table 1 Demographic and Geriatric-Related Characteristics of the Study Participants (n=293)

Characteristics	N (%)
Gender
Female	206 (70.3)
Male	87 (29.7)
Age*	21.13±1.3
Specialty
Physical therapy (PT)	156 (53.2)
Occupational therapy (OT)	44 (15.0)
Respiratory therapy (RT)	50 (17.1)
Speech-language pathology and audiology (SLP)	43 (14.7)
Do you live or have you ever lived with older adults?
Yes	207 (70.6)
No	86 (29.4)
Are you in contact with older adults who are not family members?
Yes	50 (17.1)
No	129 (44.0)
Sometimes	114 (38.9)
How important is contact with older adults for you?
Very important	99 (33.8)
Important	128 (43.7)
It does not matter	57 (19.5)
Not important	9 (3.1)
Have you studied geriatric courses in your undergraduate program?
Yes	144 (49.1)
No	149 (50.9)
Would you like to work with older adults after graduation?
Yes	203 (69.3)
No	90 (30.7)

Note: *Age presented as mean and standard deviation.

Table 2 Descriptions of Attitudes Toward Older Adults, Knowledge of Aging, and Aging Anxiety Among Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation Students

Variables	Mean (SD)	Range
Attitudes toward older adult (UCLA_GA)	3.43 (0.40)	2.0–4.5
Knowledge of aging (FAQ)	0.56 (0.19)	0.2–1.0
Aging anxiety (AAS)	4.0 (1.30)	1.0–7.0

Table 3 Differences in Attitudes Toward Older Adults According to Participant Characteristics (n = 293)

Characteristics	Categories	Attitudes Toward Older Adults
		Mean (SD)	t/F	p value
Gender	Female	3.4 (0.4)	−1.04	0.29
	Male	3.5 (0.4)
Specialty	PT	3.4 (0.4)	0.20	0.89
	OT	3.5 (0.4)
	RT	3.4 (0.4)
	SLP	3.4 (0.4)
Do you live or have you ever lived with older adults?	Yes	3.5 (0.4)	2.20	0.032
	No	3.4 (0.4)
Are you in contact with older adults who are not family members?	Yes	3.4 (0.4)	1.02	0.36
	No	3.4 (0.4)
	Sometimes	3.4 (0.4)
How important is contact with older adults for you?	Very important	3.5 (0.4)	1.03	0.38
	Important	3.4 (0.4)
	It does not matter	3.4 (0.5)
	Not important	3.2 (0.4)
Have you studied geriatric courses in your undergraduate program?	Yes	3.4 (0.4)	−0.31	0.75
	No	3.4 (0.4)
Would you like to work with older adults after graduation?	Yes	3.4 (0.4)	−0.53	0.59
	No	3.5 (0.4)

Abbreviations: PT, physical therapy; OT, occupational therapy; RT, respiratory therapy; SLP, Speech-language pathology and audiology.

Table 4 Correlations Between Attitudes Toward Older Adults and Knowledge of Aging, Aging Anxiety, and Age of Students

Variables	r (p)
	1	2	3	4
1. Attitudes toward older adults	1
2. Knowledge of aging	0.323 (<0.0001)**	1
3. Aging anxiety	−0.05 (0.31)	−0.089 (0.12)	1
4. Age	−0.07 (0.25)	−0.23 (0.0012)**	−0.02 (0.66)	1

Note: **p < 0.01.

Table 5 Stepwise Multiple Regression Model for Predictors of Attitudes Toward Older Adults (n = 293)

Predictors	B	SE	β	t	P value
Knowledge of aging	0.32	0.11	0.34	6.2	<0.0001
Living with older adults
Yes	0.11	0.05	0.12	2.2	0.02
No (ref)
Important of contact with older adults
Very important	0.26	0.13	0.31	2.0	0.04
Important	0.19	0.13	0.23	1.4	0.15
It does not matter	0.21	0.13	0.21	1.5	0.12
Not important (ref)
Adjusted R^2 = 0.12, F=9.2, p < 0.0001

Notes: B, unstandardized estimates; β, standardized estimates. The model was adjusted for age and gender.

Abbreviation: SE, standard error.