Department of Geriatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz Nicolaus Copernicus, University Copernicus, 85-094 Torun, Poland.
Department of Palliative Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz Nicolaus Copernicus, University Copernicus, 85-094 Torun, Poland.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Mar 28;19(7):3994. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19073994.
Attitudes of healthcare workers towards the elderly significantly affect the quality of care dedicated to this group of patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the approach of Polish physiotherapists to the elderly and to analyze the factors influencing these attitudes. The study was based on a cross-sectional Internet-based survey that was conducted in the period from May to September 2021. It was completed by 252 subjects: 189 women and 63 men. The study was based on the involvement of physiotherapists with the right to practice their profession in accordance with the law in force in Poland. The tools used in the study were The Kogan Attitudes towards the Elderly (KAOP) score and The Jefferson Empathy Scale (JSE). To model the KOAP score as a function of the predictors, Bayesian linear regression was used. The average KOAP score in the sample was M (SD) = 100.7 (17.46), with the central 50% of the observations ranging from 81 to 113 points. We observed one statistically credible relationship: relevance of contacts with elderly people was positively and moderately related to KOAP. Additionally, we observed that the JSE scale was positively, but very weakly, associated with KOAP. Empathy and own experience of health care providers may protect against negative attitudes towards the elderly, meaning empathy in healthcare professionals is crucial.
医护人员对老年人的态度会显著影响为这一群体提供的护理质量。本研究旨在评估波兰物理治疗师对老年人的态度，并分析影响这些态度的因素。该研究基于 2021 年 5 月至 9 月期间进行的一项基于互联网的横断面调查。共有 252 名参与者完成了该研究：189 名女性和 63 名男性。研究对象为具有根据波兰现行法律执业权利的物理治疗师。研究中使用的工具是科根老年人态度量表（KAOP）和杰斐逊同理心量表（JSE）。为了模拟 KOAP 分数作为预测因子的函数，使用了贝叶斯线性回归。样本中 KOAP 分数的平均值（M（SD））为 100.7（17.46），中心 50%的观察值在 81 到 113 分之间。我们观察到一个具有统计学意义的关系：与老年人接触的相关性与 KOAP 呈正相关且中等相关。此外，我们还观察到 JSE 量表与 KOAP 呈正相关，但非常弱。护理提供者的同理心和自身的医疗保健经验可能会防止对老年人产生负面态度，这意味着医疗保健专业人员的同理心至关重要。
