Contact with older people, ageism, and containment behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic

Being old is like…: perceptions of aging among healthcare profession students

BACKGROUND

This research explores the perspectives and attitudes of university students in health sciences towards aging and older adults. Given the intricate interplay of factors influencing attitudes toward aging, coupled with the demographic shift in Turkey from a youthful to an aging population, the study aims to discern how a cohort of university students perceives the aging process.

METHODS

Employing a mixed-methods research strategy, which enhances the depth of data interpretation, the study utilized a questionnaire for quantitative data collection. Additionally, qualitative insights were gathered through a metaphor stem-completion item appended to the questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with students. The participants were selected from the Health Sciences Faculty and School of Medicine at a Turkish university.

RESULTS

The study revealed that participating students generally hold positive attitudes and demonstrate respect towards older adults. However, they also associate old age with negative aspects such as loss of autonomy and a constant need for assistance. Furthermore, older individuals are perceived as emotionally challenging and challenging to work with, irrespective of the nature and duration of interactions during their academic programs. These findings suggest a potential pathologizing perspective towards aging adults among health science students, who are prospective health professionals.

CONCLUSIONS

This paper discusses the implications of the study and offers insights for program coordinators, curriculum designers, and faculty members in health sciences. The results underscore the necessity for a heightened emphasis on gerontology-related subjects within health science curricula. This emphasis is crucial for cultivating a comprehensive understanding among students of the social, psychological, cognitive, and biological changes associated with aging.

The retirement village experiential learning journey (RV-ELJ): an Australian "case study" in university course curriculum to reduce ageism and promote working with older adults

BACKGROUND

An aging population means health services are dealing with increasing numbers of older adults, placing challenges on health care systems. Research demonstrates many students who are in the health sciences carry negative views toward older adults, affecting their choice to work with older adults. This study evaluated whether course curriculum via an experiential learning activity that exposed Pre-Medicine students to older adults in retirement villages, improves attitudes to working with older adults upon graduation.

METHODS

A survey using validated tools namely Australian Aging Sematic Differential (AASD); Relating to Older People (ROPE): Reactions to Aging Questionnaire (RAQ); Geriatric Attitudes Scale (GAS) was implemented. Thematic analysis to evaluate students' reflective essays post placement was conducted (n = 11).

RESULTS

There were significant positive shifts in attitudes toward older adults and aging (AASD/GAS), along with improvements in students' self-perceptions of aging supported by qualitative analysis.

DISCUSSION

The results support the need for educational interventions like the RV-ELJ model for reducing ageism and encouraging a mind-set shift toward working with older adults. It is important to expose students to settings where older adults live independently to build rapport and breakdown prejudices and stereotypes. This is likely to encourage interest in working with older adults.

The Conceptual and Methodological Characteristics of Ageism During COVID-19: A Scoping Review of Empirical Studies

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Printed and social media, as well as professional and scholarly platforms, have extensively discussed the proliferation of ageism during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, no study has systematically examined the body of knowledge on the topic. Framed around the characteristics of ageism in general, the aim of this review was to identify and characterize the conceptual and methodological underpinnings of the global, peer-reviewed, and empirical literature on ageism during COVID-19.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We conducted a scoping review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, using PubMed, CINAHL, AgeLine, and PsycINFO. Quantitative and/or qualitative, English-language, and peer-reviewed articles were included. Data were tabulated and synthesized.

RESULTS

Thirty six articles examining ageism during the COVID-19 pandemic met inclusion criteria. Most were quantitative (64%) and cross-sectional (81%). The level, correlates, and consequences of ageism during the pandemic were similar to the ones reported before it. Studies about ageism during COVID-19 had similar conceptualization and measurement problems to those before the pandemic.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Empirical studies did not find ageism during COVID-19 to be a unique phenomenon, as suggested by the media. More theoretically sound and methodologically rigorous studies, using longitudinal designs and validated unique measures are needed to examine this unique phenomenon.

Negative and positive ageism in an Italian sample: how ageist beliefs relate to epistemic trust, psychological distress, and well-being

Ageism is a social issue of growing concern; ageist beliefs can shape the individual and collective experience of aging. The present study aimed to explore positive and negative ageism in young adults (YA) (18-30 years) and adults (AD) (31-60 years) and their relationship with epistemic trust, psychological distress, and psychological well-being. 301 Italian adult participants completed an online survey that included the following self-report questionnaires: attitudes towards older people scale, epistemic trust, mistrust and credulity questionnaire, depression anxiety stress scale-21, and Warwick-Edinburgh mental wellbeing scale. Negative ageism was significantly higher in YA compared to AD; on the contrary, AD presented more positive ageism than YA. When considering the entire sample, negative ageism was correlated with various dimensions of psychological distress and epistemic trust. A mediation model revealed that epistemic mistrust fully mediated the relationship between age and negative ageism, suggesting that changes in ageist beliefs that seem to occur with age are mediated by a mistrustful epistemic stance. Future research should focus on further exploring the link between epistemic trust, mental health, and holding ageist beliefs. The results are also discussed in terms of their implications for the treatment of older patients.

To help or not: negative aging stereotypes held by younger adults could promote helping behaviors toward older adults

Aging stereotypes affect older adults' behaviors, however, it is unclear whether and how (negative) aging stereotypes influence younger adults' behaviors toward older adults. Two possibilities arose, such that aging stereotypes would reduce helping behaviors according to TMT and SIT; while based on the BIAS map, we would expect the opposite. The present study aimed to further compare the two possibilities by examining the effect of negative aging stereotypes on younger adults' helping behaviors, and testing which theory would fit the data better. In a cross-sectional study (Study 1), 112 Chinese younger adults (M = 22.67, SD = 2.56) were recruited. Aging stereotypes were measured by the Ambivalent Ageism Scale and the abbreviated ageism questionnaire. And their prosocial behaviors were measured by the modified third-party punishment task. The results revealed that high benevolent ageism would increase helping behaviors toward older adults. In the following experiment with aging stereotype priming (positive, neutral vs. negative) among 130 Chinese younger adults (M = 26.82, SD = 3.70), we confirmed the influence of negative aging stereotypes on prosocial behaviors measured by both third-party punishment and Social Value Orientation tasks. Study 2 further demonstrated that pity might mediate the association between negative aging stereotypes and behaviors. Our results indicated that younger adults' negative aging stereotypes could increase their prosociality toward older adults through pity in line with BIAS maps. It also had significant theoretical and practical implications for future research. For example, with more education and intergenerational contact in younger generation which could evoke pity feelings for older adults, could help to build harmonious intergenerational relations.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-023-04371-0.

Warmth and competence perceptions of key protagonists are associated with containment measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from 35 countries

It is crucial to understand why people comply with measures to contain viruses and their effects during pandemics. We provide evidence from 35 countries (N_total = 12,553) from 6 continents during the COVID-19 pandemic (between 2021 and 2022) obtained via cross-sectional surveys that the social perception of key protagonists on two basic dimensions-warmth and competence-plays a crucial role in shaping pandemic-related behaviors. Firstly, when asked in an open question format, heads of state, physicians, and protest movements were universally identified as key protagonists across countries. Secondly, multiple-group confirmatory factor analyses revealed that warmth and competence perceptions of these and other protagonists differed significantly within and between countries. Thirdly, internal meta-analyses showed that warmth and competence perceptions of heads of state, physicians, and protest movements were associated with support and opposition intentions, containment and prevention behaviors, as well as vaccination uptake. Our results have important implications for designing effective interventions to motivate desirable health outcomes and coping with future health crises and other global challenges.

Intergenerational contact during and beyond COVID-19

Intergenerational contact is crucial for promoting intergenerational harmony and reducing ageism. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted and changed the nature and frequency of intergenerational contact. In addition, research suggests that both ageism towards older adults and intergenerational threat regarding succession and consumption, have increased. Through the lens of the Temporally Integrated Model of Intergroup Contact and Threat (TIMICAT; Abrams & Eller, 2016), we explore the implications of these changing dynamics on ageism towards older adults during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Our review reveals that research into intergenerational contact needs to articulate both the time course and salience of contact and threats before making predictions about their impacts on prejudice. The implications of understanding how contact and threat combine to affect ageism for policy and practice are discussed in relation to employment, education, and intergenerational contact programs. We highlight that policy makers play a key role in promoting intergenerational harmony through the reduction of narratives that inflame intergenerational tensions and threat.

I love you too much to keep social distance: Closeness in relationships and (dis)engagement in preventive behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic

Although we are witnessing a new phase in the management of COVID-19, understanding what predicts adherence to preventive behaviors still remains crucial. In this study we focus on interpersonal relationships by specifically investigating whether engagement in preventive behaviors when in the presence of others may be a function of the type of relationship (in terms of closeness) one has with others. Because close others are often perceived similar to the self compared to strangers, we put forward that close relationships may inadvertently decrease COVID-19 risk perceptions which may ultimately decrease compliance with recommended behaviors when in their presence. To test this hypothesis, 747 Italian respondents were invited to answer one out of four versions of a questionnaire differing on the target (i.e., friends vs. parents vs. grandparents vs. strangers), including questions regarding COVID-19 risk perceptions and intentions to engage in preventive behaviors. Mediation analysis showed that close relationships (i.e., with friends, parents, and grandparents) compared to nonclose relationships (i.e., with strangers) predicted lower intentions to engage in preventive behaviors via lower risk perceptions. Altogether, these results shed light on the role played by closeness in indirectly shaping individuals' dis(engagement) in preventive behaviors and contribute to better understand possible unconscious biases which may undermine our safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Are You Willing to Protect the Health of Older People? Intergenerational Contact and Ageism as Predictors of Attitudes toward the COVID-19 Vaccination Passport

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the vulnerability of older people to COVID-19 has been stressed in political discourse and the mass media, with the call to protect older adults. Therefore, policies aimed at reducing the spread of coronavirus, such as the COVID-19 vaccination passport policy, might be perceived as policies aimed at preserving the health of older people, and negative attitudes toward older people (i.e., ageism) might underlie negative attitudes toward such policies. While intergenerational contact is one of the main antecedents of reduced ageism, the pandemic has forced people to separate, and direct intergenerational contact in particular might have been reduced, possibly being replaced by telephone and virtual contact. In a correlational study (N = 153 Italian university students) we found that quantity and quality of direct intergenerational contact diminished during the pandemic. Virtual intergenerational contact was unexpectedly less frequent than direct contact. Quality of direct contact before the pandemic was associated, over and above the effects of other contact forms under investigation, with reduced ageism, which was in turn associated with negative attitude toward the vaccination passport. Findings will be discussed focusing on the roles of intergenerational contact and ageism for public health.

Is Protecting Older Adults from COVID-19 Ageism? A Comparative Cross-cultural Constructive Grounded Theory from the United Kingdom and Colombia

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted people's lives all over the world, requiring health and safety measures intended to stop the virus from spreading. This study explores whether an unintended consequence of these measures is a new form of ageism. We explore, using qualitative methods, the experiences of older adults living through the pandemic in the United Kingdom and Colombia. Although there were some small differences between countries, for the most part, the experiences were similar. We found that older adults reported that they were seen as a homogenous group and experienced both benevolent and hostile ageism and a loss of autonomy as a consequence of COVID-19 protection measures. Participants from both countries expressed anger and frustration, and increased anxiety, and felt that their individuality was ignored. We recommend that policy-makers, the media, and wider society consider the impact of such health and safety measures on older adults in preparing for future pandemics and health challenges.

"You are stealing our present": Younger people's ageism towards older people predicts attitude towards age-based COVID-19 restriction measures

The COVID-19 pandemic emerged to be a fertile ground for age-based prejudice and discrimination. In particular, a growing literature investigated ageism towards older people at the individual and the interpersonal level, providing evidence of its prevalence, antecedents and negative consequences. However, less much is known on the phenomenon at the intergroup level. To fill this gap, the present correlational research investigated the effects of younger people's endorsement of ageism towards older people on the attitude towards COVID-19 restriction measures primarily targeted to older (vs. younger) population. In the autumn of 2020, five hundred and eighty-two Italian participants (83.3% females; M age = 20.02, SD age = 2.83) completed an online questionnaire. Results revealed that the younger people's endorsement of ageism towards older people increased the attribution of culpability for the severity of COVID-19 restriction measures to older (vs. younger) people, which, in turn positively affected the attitudes towards older (vs. younger) people isolation and support for selective lockdown on older population only. The main contributions of the study, limitations, future research directions, and practice implications are discussed.

Harnessing nursing to diminish ageism

BACKGROUND

The common practice of making fun of aging and older people demonstrates that ageism towards older people is socially acceptable. It is so accepted that even those of us who are aging or have moved into the 'third act' believe and fear the negative stereotypes that growing old is linked with physical and mental deterioration, dependence, and less social value. Ageism is evident in work places, family relationships, when older people purchase goods and services, in health and social institutions and extends throughout professions that work with older people.

OBJECTIVES

We explore how nurses-the largest group of healthcare professions- may be inadvertently perpetuating negative perceptions about older people in nursing practice, nursing education, and through common misconceptions about what gerontological nursing means.

METHODS

This is discussion paper using the literature.

RESULTS

We suggest that nursing education is well situated to diminish negative perspectives of ageing by incorporating theories of life-course and harmonious aging into the holistic perspective of individuals that nursing is well known for.

CONCLUSIONS

Greater understanding about the diversity of ageing and the context that have influenced older persons could encourage nurses to treat them holistically with dignity, which would ultimately improve older people's experiences. Improving older persons' experiences is like paying it forward, as we all are ageing and if we are to have a different experience when we are old, it is necessary to diminish stereotypes about ageing, and work towards inclusion of older people in social and healthcare institutions.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

It is important for nurses, particularly those in nursing education, to support the incorporation of a life course and harmonious view of aging in which the social, political, and environmental context of individuals are viewed as part of the difference of ageing.