| The purposes of this study were: (1) to assess dietetics and nutritional sciences students' knowledge about older adults, attitudes towards older adults and preference for working with this age group, (2) to explore students' attitudes towards working with older adults and factors influencing formation of those attitudes, and (3) to develop, implement and evaluate an intervention to improve nutrition students' attitudes towards working with older adults. This study consisted of three parts to address each purpose.; In the first part, on responses to psychometric instruments, students demonstrated low knowledge levels about older adults, neutral to slightly positive attitudes towards this age group and the lowest preference for working with older adults compared to infants, children, adolescents and adults. Students' attitudes towards older adults were related positively to their preference for working with older adults. Limited information about students' attitudes towards older adults obtained from a psychometric scale and the need for insight into how such attitudes were formed and could be altered led to the use of a qualitative approach for Part II of this study. In Part II triangulated qualitative research methods (focus groups and in-depth interviews) were used with 27 students. Students' previous experiences influenced their attitudes as well as their beliefs about older adults and working with them. Students' perceived satisfaction and confidence to work with older adults affected students' preference for working with this age group. Students who preferred to work with older adults did report some barriers to working with them, but the students' comfort level and desire to help seemed to overcome the barriers. Part III of this study, an intervention to improve students' attitudes towards older adults, was developed based on findings from Part II and the literature reviewed. The intervention was implemented with nutrition students enrolled in a junior level community nutrition course, and mixed methods were used to evaluate the intervention. Students' attitudes and their preference for working with older adults improved after the intervention. These findings related to positive changes in students' beliefs about and working with older adults, values for working with older adults, and their increased confidence as a pre-health professional.; The intervention component---comprised of a structured series of interactions as a pre-health professional with an older adult willing to change a dietary behavior---successfully improved nutrition students' attitudes towards working with older adults and preference for working with them. In dietetics and nutritional sciences program curricula, this type of assignment with healthy older adults might help students have positive attitudes towards older adults and encourage students to work with older adults in the future, when they have a choice. |
