Attitudes Toward Older Adults: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study in Chilean University Students
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
Variables and Evaluation Instruments
3. Results
4. Discussion
Main Contributions and Clinical Implications of the Study
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Variables | N (%) |
---|---|
Age | |
Quartile 1 (18–20 years) | 166 (32.2) |
Quartile 2 (21–23 years) | 143 (27.8) |
Quartile 3 (24–26 years) | 90 (17.5) |
Quartile 4 (>26 years) | 116 (22.5) |
Gender | |
Male | 183 (35.7) |
Female | 330 (64.3) |
Country of origin | |
Chilean | 502 (97.5) |
Foreigner | 13 (2.5) |
Ethnicity | |
Aymara, Quechua, Atacameño, Colla, Diaguita | 45 (8.7) |
Mapuche, Kawésqar, Yámana, Yagán | 56 (10.9) |
Other ethnicity | 6 (1.2) |
People with no defined ethnicity | 408 (79.2) |
Faculty | |
Social Sciences and Communications | 14 (2.7%) |
Law | 12 (2.3%) |
Natural Resources and Veterinary Medicine | 13 (2.5%) |
Health | 466 (90.5%) |
Other faculties (Sciences, Economics and Business, Education, Engineering) | 10 (1.9%) |
Program | |
Psychology | 12 (2.3%) |
Law | 12 (2.3%) |
Veterinary Medicine | 13 (2.5%) |
Occupational Therapy | 63 (12.2%) |
Medical Technology | 16 (3.1%) |
Nursing | 63 (12.2%) |
Physical Therapy | 296 (57.5%) |
Speech Therapy | 11 (2.1%) |
Nutrition and Dietetics | 6 (3.1%) |
Other programs (Bachelor of Science, Social Work, Business Engineering, Civil Engineering) | 3 (2.5%) |
Year | |
First year | 92 (17.9%) |
Second year | 80 (15.5%) |
Third year | 136 (26.4%) |
Fourth year | 145 (28.2%) |
Fifth and sixth year | 62 (12.0%) |
Variables | Average | SD |
---|---|---|
Kogan score (34–204 points) | 139.1 | 16.6 |
Attitude toward aging | n | % |
Negative attitude (34–118 points) | 46 | 9% |
Low-level positive attitude (119–146 points) | 315 | 61% |
Medium-level positive attitude (147–174 points) | 144 | 28% |
High-level positive attitude (175–204 points) | 10 | 2% |
Attitudes Toward Aging | Chi-Square/Fisher’s Exact | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Variables | Negative | Low-Level Positive | Medium-Level Positive | High-Level Positive | p-Value |
Self-perception of health and aging | |||||
Self-perception of health | |||||
Very good | 5 (11%) | 44 (14%) | 21 (15%) | 3 (30%) | 0.164 |
Good | 24 (52%) | 174 (55%) | 88 (61%) | 6 (60%) | |
Fair | 14 (30%) | 90 (29%) | 35 (24%) | 1 (10%) | |
Poor and very poor | 3 (7%) | 7 (2%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | |
Self-perception of aging | |||||
Very healthy way | 1 (2%) | 17 (5%) | 6 (4%) | 0 (0%) | 0.011 |
Good health | 10 (22%) | 129 (41%) | 72 (50%) | 4 (40%) | |
Relatively good health | 28 (61%) | 138 (44%) | 63 (44%) | 5 (50%) | |
Unhealthyway | 7 (15%) | 31 (10%) | 3 (2%) | 1 (10%) | |
Contact with older adults in the community | |||||
Are your grandparents alive? | |||||
Yes, all four | 8 (17%) | 32 (10%) | 20 (14%) | 3 (30%) | 0.066 |
Yes, three of them | 7 (15%) | 74 (24%) | 33 (23%) | 0 (0%) | |
Yes, two of them | 14 (31%) | 81 (26%) | 33 (23%) | 0 (0%) | |
Yes, one of them | 14 (31%) | 79 (25%) | 31 (21%) | 3 (30%) | |
I have no living grandparents | 3 (6%) | 49 (15%) | 27 (19%) | 4 (40%) | |
Do you have contact with your grandparents or older adults? | |||||
Yes | 33 (77%) | 234 (88%) | 109 (93%) | 5 (83%) | 0.040 |
No | 10 (23%) | 32 (12%) | 8 (7%) | 1 (17%) | |
Think of your closest grandparent(s). What is their current general health status? | |||||
Healthy | 13 (30%) | 93 (35%) | 53 (45%) | 2 (33%) | 0.468 |
Healthy with disabilities | 14 (33%) | 100 (38%) | 36 (31%) | 1 (17%) | |
Ill | 11 (26%) | 51 (19%) | 22 (19%) | 2 (33%) | |
Ill with mobility issues | 5 (11%) | 22 (8%) | 6 (5%) | 1 (17%) | |
Think of your closest grandparent(s). Where do they live? | |||||
At my home | 8 (18%) | 53 (20%) | 20 (17%) | 1 (17%) | 0.549 |
At a relative’s home | 11 (26%) | 90 (34%) | 31 (27%) | 1 (17%) | |
In a nursing home or other | 24 (56%) | 123 (46%) | 66 (56%) | 4 (66%) |
Kogan Score | One-Way ANOVA | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Variables | n (%) | Average (SD) | p-Value | ES |
Sociodemographic variables | ||||
Gender | ||||
Male | 183 (35.7) | 136.7 (15.3) b | 0.014 * | 0.012 |
Female | 330 (64.3) | 140.4 (17.0) a | ||
Age | ||||
Quartile 1 (18–21 years) | 166 (32.2) | 136.6 (16.4) b | 0.001 * | 0.032 |
Quartile 2 (22–23 years) | 143 (27.8) | 138.4 (16.8) b | ||
Quartile 3 (24–25 years) | 90 (17.5) | 137.8 (14.7) b | ||
Quartile 4 (26–42 years) | 116 (22.5) | 144.5 (16.9) a | ||
Country of origin | ||||
Chilean | 502 (97.5) | 139.4 (16.6) a | 0.016 * | 0.011 |
Foreigner | 13 (2.5) | 128.2 (9.9) b | ||
Ethnicity | ||||
Aymara, Quechua, Atacameño, Colla, Diaguita | 45 (8.7) | 137.7 (17.4) | 0.479 | 0.005 |
Mapuche, Kawésqar, Yámana, Yagán | 56 (10.9) | 139.8 (15.1) | ||
Other | 6 (1.2) | 129.5 (6.7) | ||
None | 408 (79.2) | 139.3 (16.7) | ||
Self-perception of health and aging | ||||
Self-perception of health | ||||
Very good | 73 (14.2) | 141.2 (17.5) | 0.185 | 0.009 |
Good | 292 (56.7) | 139.3 (16.7) | ||
Fair | 140 (27.2) | 138.2 (15.9) | ||
Poor | 10 (1.9) | 129.9 (13.5) | ||
Self-perception of aging | ||||
Very healthy | 24 (4.7) | 138.5 (14.7) ab | 0.011 * | 0.021 |
Healthy | 215 (41.7) | 141.3 (16.3) a | ||
Partially healthy | 234 (45.4) | 138.3 (16.8) ab | ||
Unhealthy | 42 (8.2) | 132.5 (16.3) b | ||
Contact with older adults in the community | ||||
Are your grandparents alive? | ||||
Yes, all four | 63 (12.2) | 141.3 (17.6) | 0.068 | 0.017 |
Yes, three of them | 114 (22.1) | 138.4 (15.6) | ||
Yes, two of them | 128 (24.9) | 136.7 (16.0) | ||
Yes, one of them | 127 (24.7) | 138.6 (16.3) | ||
I have no living grandparents | 83 (16.1) | 143.0 (17.8) | ||
Do you have contact with your grandparents or older adults? | ||||
Yes | 381 (74.0) | 139.1 (15.8) a | 0.006 * | 0.018 |
No | 51 (9.9) | 132.5 (18.3) b | ||
Think of your closest grandparent(s). What is their current general health status? | ||||
Healthy | 161 (31.3) | 140.7 (15.6) | 0.160 | 0.012 |
Healthy with disabilities | 151 (29.3) | 137.1 (16.3) | ||
Ill | 86 (16.7) | 136.8 (17.3) | ||
Ill with mobility issues | 34 (6.6) | 137.0 (15.5) | ||
Think of your closest grandparent(s). Where do they live? | ||||
At my home | 82 (15.9) | 136.3 (16.7) | 0.411 | 0.004 |
At a relative’s home | 133 (25.8) | 138.4 (14.0) | ||
In a nursing home or other | 217 (42.1) | 139.1 (17.3) |
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Share and Cite
Cigarroa, I.; Alonso, J.; Vallejos, M.G.; Parra-Rizo, M.A.; Basoalto, D.; Robles-Tapia, D.; Concha-Cisternas, Y.; Pizarro, R.; Borja-González, J.; Yañez-Yañez, R. Attitudes Toward Older Adults: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study in Chilean University Students. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22, 1450. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22091450
Cigarroa I, Alonso J, Vallejos MG, Parra-Rizo MA, Basoalto D, Robles-Tapia D, Concha-Cisternas Y, Pizarro R, Borja-González J, Yañez-Yañez R. Attitudes Toward Older Adults: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study in Chilean University Students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2025; 22(9):1450. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22091450
Chicago/Turabian StyleCigarroa, Igor, Jesus Alonso, María Gabriela Vallejos, Maria Antonia Parra-Rizo, Daniel Basoalto, Daniela Robles-Tapia, Yeny Concha-Cisternas, Rafael Pizarro, Juana Borja-González, and Rodrigo Yañez-Yañez. 2025. "Attitudes Toward Older Adults: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study in Chilean University Students" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 22, no. 9: 1450. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22091450
APA StyleCigarroa, I., Alonso, J., Vallejos, M. G., Parra-Rizo, M. A., Basoalto, D., Robles-Tapia, D., Concha-Cisternas, Y., Pizarro, R., Borja-González, J., & Yañez-Yañez, R. (2025). Attitudes Toward Older Adults: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study in Chilean University Students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(9), 1450. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22091450