Abstract
Understanding and Reducing the Development of Ageism: A Study in Future Health Professionals
Rita Hu, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Chicago
Effective engagement with older adults in research and services is central to addressing their health and social and economic needs. However, ageism— treatment based on a person’s age rather than their potential to benefit from treatment—remains a pervasive barrier. Understanding the development of ageism in future health professionals will help us identify strategies to reduce ageist behaviors in the health care settings and optimize care and services targeting older adults. This pilot study will examine the development of age-related beliefs and attitudes among undergraduate research assistants (RAs) in a health care (or hospital) setting. The study will draw on the UC Hospitalist Project (UCHP), a longstanding research infrastructure that has been collecting data on hospitalized patients for 20+ years. UCHP offers extensive opportunities to observe naturally occurring variation in RA exposure to older adult patients and to collect high-frequency behavioral data in a real-world hospital setting. The high volume of older adult patients (35% age 60-74 and 27% age 75+) permits robust variation in exposure experiences across RA assignments in the context of the pilot study’s experimental design. The pilot specifically aims to:
Assess how age-related beliefs and attitudes vary over time and differ between RAs with varying levels of exposure to older patients
Develop a cumulative exposure-weighted index that quantifies the interaction between weekly exposure to older adults and ageist content in the society and concurrent shifts in age-related beliefs; and
Identify contextual, interpersonal, and experiential factors, such as memorable interactions with patients and emotional responses as well as exposure to ageism, that shape the internalization or disruption of age-related beliefs and attitudes. Findings will inform larger-scale studies on ageism in health professionals and interventions to mitigate age stereotypes among professionals.