Ageism in Healthcare Workers
Author Information
Author(s): Laura Fernández-Puerta, Alexis Caballero-Bonafé, Juan Ramón de-Moya-Romero, Antonio Martínez-Sabater, Raquel Valera-Lloris
Primary Institution: Valencia Clinic Hospital
Hypothesis
This study aims to assess the presence of ageism among healthcare workers toward older patients and to identify the associated sociodemographic, personal, and work-related factors.
Conclusion
Healthcare workers generally exhibited low rates of ageism, with gerontological education and clinical experience potentially reducing ageist attitudes.
Supporting Evidence
- Fifteen articles met the inclusion criteria for the review.
- Healthcare workers generally exhibited low rates of ageism.
- Workers with less knowledge about aging showed higher ageism scores.
- Intergenerational contact was linked to more positive attitudes toward older adults.
- Workload and stress might be associated with ageism, but evidence is limited.
Takeaway
This study looked at how healthcare workers feel about older patients and found that most are nice to them, especially if they have learned more about aging.
Methodology
A systematic review of literature was performed using databases like PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus, focusing on studies published between 2014 and 2024.
Potential Biases
Some studies reported high levels of rejection among participants or did not provide adequate details about their samples, which could introduce bias.
Limitations
The review included studies with varying quality and did not differentiate results based on the type of healthcare worker.
Participant Demographics
Participants were primarily young, female healthcare workers with less than 10 years of experience.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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