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Examining the Attitudes and Knowledge of Social Work and Nursing Students on Later-Life Sexuality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 September 2018

Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan ,
Ahuva Even-Zohar  and
Shoshi Werner
Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan*
Affiliation:
School of Social Work, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
Ahuva Even-Zohar
Affiliation:
School of Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Ariel University, Israel
Shoshi Werner
Affiliation:
Nursing Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ariel University, Israel
*
†La correspondance et les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à : / Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to: Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan, Ph.D. School of Social Work Faculty of Social Sciences Bar Ilan University Ramat Gan 5290002 Israel <ateret.meydan@gmail.com>
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Abstract

We examined ageist beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge towards sexuality in later life among 148 nursing students and 137 social work students in their first year of studies. The students completed the Fraboni Scale of Ageism, the Attitudes and Knowledge towards Older Adults’ Sexuality Scale, and questionnaires regarding contact with older adults, prior sexual education, and socio-demographics. The results indicated that nursing students have more conservative attitudes towards older adults’ sexuality. Ageist beliefs correlated positively with more conservative attitudes towards older adults’ sexuality. These conservative attitudes ’were negatively correlated with knowledge about sexuality in later life. Older students have more knowledge about sexuality in later life and more permissive attitudes towards older adults’ sexuality. Religious students have less knowledge, and more conservative attitudes, towards older adults’ sexuality. Previous sexual education was not associated with the students’ attitudes and knowledge towards older adults’ sexuality. Implications for designing continuing education programs are discussed.

Résumé

Cette étude a examiné les croyances, les attitudes et les savoirs âgistes liés à la sexualité au grand âge chez 148 étudiants en sciences infirmières et 137 étudiants en travail social de première année. Les étudiants ont complété les questionnaires Fraboni Scale of Ageism et Attitudes and Knowledge towards Older Adult’s Sexuality Scale, ainsi que des questionnaires portant sur leurs contacts avec des personnes âgées, leur éducation sexuelle et des variables sociodémographiques. Les résultats ont montré que les étudiants en sciences infirmières avaient des attitudes plus conservatrices envers la sexualité des personnes âgées. Les croyances âgistes corrélaient positivement avec des attitudes plus conservatrices envers la sexualité des personnes âgées. Les attitudes conservatrices envers la sexualité des personnes âgées étaient négativement corrélées avec les connaissances liées à la sexualité au grand âge. Les étudiants plus âgés avaient davantage de connaissances sur la sexualité des personnes âgées et des attitudes plus permissives concernant cet aspect de la sexualité. Les étudiants plus religieux avaient moins de connaissances liées à la sexualité des personnes âgées et des attitudes plus conservatrices sur ce sujet. L’éducation sexuelle reçue par les étudiants n’était pas associée avec leurs attitudes et leurs connaissances liées à la sexualité des personnes âgées. Les implications de ces résultats pour l’élaboration de programmes d’éducation continue sont discutées.

Keywords

agingolder adultssexualitysocial work and nursing studentsstudent knowledgestudent attitudesvieillissementpersonnes âgéessexualitéétudiants en travail socialétudiants en sciences infirmièresconnaissances des étudiantsattitudes des étudiants
Type
Article
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 37 , Issue 4 , December 2018 , pp. 377 - 389
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2018 

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Footnotes

*

First two authors contributed equally to the study.

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