COGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES TOWARD THE AGED OF DENTAL AND MEDICAL STUDENTS

Abstract

The need for the incorporation of training in geriatrics and gerontology into basic medical and dental education has recently been recognized. Studies that have attempted to measure the attitudes of medical and dental students toward the aged have been extremely limited. The present study, part of a larger study of attitudes and knowledge among 700 health workers, examines the attitudes and knowledge of over 283 dental and medical students at different stages in their professional education, using Rosencranz and McNevin's Aging Semantic Differential and Palmore's Short Quiz on Facts on Aging. No significant deterioration or improvement in attitudes toward the aged was found in the course of medical and dental education. Correlational analysis revealed a complex relationship between knowledge and attitude scores.