Influence of an educational intervention on pre-allied health students' attitudes toward older adults.

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of an educational intervention on the knowledge and attitudes of pre-allied health students toward older adults. The subjects were 41 pre-allied health students assigned to an intervention (n = 19) or comparison group (n = 22). The intervention group participated in a six-hour multi-modal workshop consisting of didactic lecture, group activities, and simulation activities. A posttest only quasi-experimental design over time was used. Palmore's FACTS on Aging Quiz and Kogan's Old People Scale were used to measure knowledge and attitude towards older adults one week and 10 weeks following the workshop. The intervention significantly improved knowledge in the short term (p = 0.031). No significant difference was noted between the two groups on the attitudinal surveys.