Graduate Medicine, Faculty of Science Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
PhD Candidate, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
BMJ Open. 2020 Aug 16;10(8):e036108. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-036108.
The Australian Ageing Semantic Differential (AASD) survey was developed to quantify medical student attitudes towards older people. The purpose of this study is to examine psychometric properties of the survey and confirm its factor structure of four composites.
A cross-sectional study.
Three medical schools in three Australian states: Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia.
Third-year or fourth-year medical students (n=188, response rate=79%).
In the previous AASD study, exploratory factor analysis supported a four-factor model consisting of 'Instrumentality' (I), 'Personal Appeal' (PA), 'Experience' (E) and 'Sociability' (S). Congeneric one-factor confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to examine model fit for factors using a new student sample (n=188).Psychometric properties of survey items and factors.Post-hoc analysis of pooled data from this study and earlier AASD study (n=509).
Indices of fit (Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), standardised root mean square residual (SRMR)) for data to the factor model were: PA adequate fit (CFI=0.94, TLI=0.89, RMSEA=0.11 and SRMR=0.05), I good fit (CFI=0.99, TLI=0.99, RMSEA=0.04 and SRMR=0.03), S good fit (CFI=0.98, TLI=0.95, RMSEA=0.06 and SRMR=0.03) and E excellent fit (CFI=1.0, TLI=1.0, RMSEA=0.00 and SRMR=0.01).The AASD was internally consistent (Cronbach's alpha=0.84), without difference in mean student scores by institution. Mean AASD score was positive for medical students outside New South Wales (73.2/114).Mean I score for all Australian students was negative, with female respondents' mean E score significantly higher than their counterparts. A positive correlation between student age and I score was noted.
The AASD is internally consistent and generalisable within Australia, with acceptable structural validity for measuring medical student attitudes towards older people within a four-factor model. Student attitudes were positive globally and within all factors except I. Female students rated older persons E more positively. Older students recorded more positive attitudes towards I of older people.
澳大利亚老龄化语义差异（AASD）调查旨在量化医学生对老年人的态度。本研究的目的是检验调查的心理测量特性，并确认其四个综合因素的结构。
横断面研究。
澳大利亚三个州的三所医学院：维多利亚州、西澳大利亚州和南澳大利亚州。
三年级或四年级医学生（n=188，应答率=79%）。
在之前的 AASD 研究中，探索性因素分析支持一个由“工具性”（I）、“个人吸引力”（PA）、“经验”（E）和“社交性”（S）组成的四因素模型。使用新的学生样本（n=188）进行的同型单因素验证性因素分析（CFA）用于检验因素的模型拟合情况。调查项目和因素的心理测量特性。对本研究和之前 AASD 研究（n=509）的汇总数据进行事后分析。
数据拟合因子模型的拟合指数（比较拟合指数（CFI）、塔克-刘易斯指数（TLI）、均方根误差逼近（RMSEA）、标准化均方根残差（SRMR））为：PA 适度拟合（CFI=0.94，TLI=0.89，RMSEA=0.11，SRMR=0.05），I 良好拟合（CFI=0.99，TLI=0.99，RMSEA=0.04，SRMR=0.03），S 良好拟合（CFI=0.98，TLI=0.95，RMSEA=0.06，SRMR=0.03）和 E 极好拟合（CFI=1.0，TLI=1.0，RMSEA=0.00，SRMR=0.01）。AASD 具有内部一致性（Cronbach's alpha=0.84），不同机构的学生平均分数没有差异。新南威尔士州以外的医学生 AASD 平均得分为 73.2/114，呈阳性。所有澳大利亚学生的平均 I 分数均为负值，女性受访者的平均 E 分数明显高于男性。学生年龄与 I 分数呈正相关。
AASD 在澳大利亚内部具有一致性和可推广性，在四因素模型中具有可接受的结构有效性，可用于测量医学生对老年人的态度。全球范围内和所有因素（除 I 外）的学生态度均为积极。女性学生对老年人的 E 评价更为积极。年龄较大的学生对老年人的 I 态度更为积极。
