Attitudes and Knowledge of Respiratory Therapy Students Concerning the Elderly

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Negative attitudes and lack of knowledge about aging can influence the care of elderly patients. I sought to assess attitudes toward the elderly held by respiratory therapy students (RTS) in Alabama and to determine their knowledge of the basic facts about aging. I hypothesized that the attitudes of RTS toward older persons would be more negative than positive and that students with more knowledge about aging would have more positive attitudes about older persons. MATERIALS & METHODS: A set of semantic differential scales (ASD), taken from an instrument developed by Rosencranz and McNevin in 1969, was used to measure attitudes. Knowledge about aging was measured using Palmore's 1977 Facts on Aging Quiz (FAQ). RESULTS: The hypothesis predicting negative attitudes was not supported, with the mean attitude score determined to be in the neutral range. As a group, students answered only 57% of the FAQ correctly. Correlational analysis to test the second hypothesis demonstrated a direct correlation between attitude and knowledge (r = 0.24, p = 0.029). Analysis of variance revealed that coursework in gerontology related significantly to attitude (F = 4.27, p = 0.0431). CONCLUSION: Data from this study may have implications for the inclusion of units of instruction on geriatrics and gerontology in respiratory therapy program curricula.