Abstract

BERNARDINI, D.A.; MORARU, M.  and  MACIAS-NUNEZ, J.F.. Are the medical students' attitudes towards older people modifiable?: The University of Salamanca's experience. Educ. méd. [online]. 2009, vol.12, n.2, pp.111-115. ISSN 1575-1813.

Introduction. Both physicians and medical students show negative attitudes towards older people. In the European Union, only about 50% of the medical students receive geriatric medicine training. Subjects and methods. Attitudes towards elder people were evaluated in medical students in the fifth year of their studies during 2006-07 academical year, before and after receiving specific training in geriatric medicine. To measure attitudes we used the instrument developed by Rosencranz et al, which incorporates the Aged Semantic Differential; low scores show positives attitudes. Results. 93 questionnaires were filled in correctly; 74% of the participants were women and 26% men. Average age was 22.4 years. Our results shows lower values in the majority of the 32 variables studied, with statistically significant differences in 21 of them. Only 15% of the participants declared to have received geriatric medicine training before our study. Conclusions. Medical students' exposure to knowledge and practice in elderly care could positively modify their attitudes.

Keywords : Ageing; Attitudes; Geriatric education.

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