Canell Anastasia E, Caskie Grace I L
Department of Education and Human Services, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA.
Gerontologist. 2022 Aug 12;62(7):984-993. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnab173.
More emerging adults (18-25 years) are performing caregiving tasks for older adults, yet minimal research has examined how the quality of this experience may inform their willingness to provide care again in the future. Based on an intergroup contact theory framework, this study examined whether quality of contact moderated the relationship between ageist attitudes and willingness to be a caregiver at age 50.
A sample of 248 emerging adults (mean age = 23.29) providing informal care to an older adult (aged 65+) completed survey measures online. Regression analysis with interaction terms was utilized to test study hypotheses.
Quality of contact moderated the relationship between ageism and willingness to provide instrumental and nursing care in the future. As quality of contact decreased, overt ageist attitudes became more strongly related to less willingness to provide care, and ambivalent ageist attitudes became more strongly related to greater willingness to provide care.
Caregiving during emerging adulthood may weaken the relationship between overt ageist attitudes on future caregiving intentions, especially when quality of contact is high, which is consistent with intergroup contact theory. Emerging adult caregivers may have a greater willingness to provide care in the future if supports focused on increasing quality of contact and emphasizing the strengths of the older adult population.
越来越多的新兴成年人（18 - 25岁）承担起照顾老年人的任务，但极少有研究探讨这种经历的质量如何影响他们未来再次提供照料的意愿。基于群体间接触理论框架，本研究考察了接触质量是否调节了年龄歧视态度与50岁时成为照料者意愿之间的关系。
248名向65岁及以上老年人提供非正式照料的新兴成年人（平均年龄 = 23.29岁）样本在线完成了调查测量。采用带有交互项的回归分析来检验研究假设。
接触质量调节了年龄歧视与未来提供工具性照料和护理照料意愿之间的关系。随着接触质量下降，明显的年龄歧视态度与提供照料意愿降低的关联更强，而矛盾的年龄歧视态度与提供照料意愿增强的关联更强。
成年初期的照料经历可能会削弱明显的年龄歧视态度与未来照料意愿之间的关系，尤其是在接触质量较高时，这与群体间接触理论一致。如果提供侧重于提高接触质量并强调老年人群体优势的支持，成年初期的照料者未来可能更愿意提供照料。
