Autor(es):
Gonçalves, Daniela C. 
; Guedes, Joana ; Fonseca, António M. ; Pinto, Fernando Cabral ; Martín, Inácio ; Byrne, Gerard J. ; Pachana, Nancy A.
Data: 2011
Identificador Persistente: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/11664
Origem: Veritati - Repositório Institucional da Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Assunto(s): Attitudes towards aging; Older adults; Undergraduate students
Descrição
Background: The underlying goals of the present study were (i) to assess knowledge of and attitudes towards
aging in a sample of Portuguese undergraduate students undertaking various degrees in health and welfare
subjects, and (ii) to analyze the extent to which knowledge, attitudes and other factors were associated with
interest in working with older adults.
Methods: The study was cross-sectional in design. The sample comprised 460 Portuguese undergraduate
students enrolled in degrees in nursing, social work, and psychology. They were asked to complete
questionnaires and quizzes, which were analyzed using contingency tables and one way analysis of variance
for inter-group comparison, and then subjected to multivariate logistic regression analysis.
Results: Significant differences emerged between groups on knowledge, attitudes towards aging and interest
in working with older adults, with both nursing and social work students displaying more positive attitudes,
knowledge, and interest in working with older adults, when compared with psychology students. A regression
analysis indicated that attitudes, knowledge, and previous formal contact were significant predictors of interest.
Conclusion: Interest in working with older adults was significantly related to positive attitudes, more knowledge
and formal previous contact. Positive attitudes towards older adults can be promoted through interaction with
faculty members and experts, knowledge acquisition about normative changes with age, and contact with
healthy and impaired older adults.
