Bolukbasi Selman, Yilmaz Nilufer Demiral, Aykar Fisun Senuzun, Sahin Sevnaz
Department of Gerontology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Inonu University, Malatya, Türkiye.
Department of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Türkiye.
BMC Med Educ. 2025 Mar 25;25(1):432. doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-06970-w.
This study aims to assess social workers' educational needs in geriatric competencies and their attitudes toward older adults, providing insights for the development of a targeted training program.
This cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,619 social workers. Data were collected using the Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale and the UCLA Geriatric Attitudes Scale and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0. The study received ethics committee approval from the Medical Research Ethics Committee of Ege University (Decision No. 21-5.1T/63, dated May 27, 2021).
The study included 1,619 social workers, of whom 53.8% were women, with a median age of 32 years. The findings from the Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale revealed that social workers' geriatric competencies were relatively low. A negative correlation was found between age and competency, whereas professional experience, as well as the subscales of values, assessment, and intervention, showed a positive correlation with competency. Additionally, the number of older adults with whom the social workers lived positively influenced their competency. The UCLA Geriatric Attitudes Scale indicated that social workers' age was negatively correlated with their attitudes toward older adults, while professional experience and participation in in-service training on aging had a positive effect on their attitudes.
This study emphasizes the importance of developing a specialized training program to enhance social workers' geriatric competencies and attitudes toward older adults. Key factors such as age, professional experience, in-service training, and personal interactions with older adults significantly influence social workers' effectiveness. Tailored training initiatives that focus on geriatric knowledge, positive attitudes, and practical skills will better equip social workers to meet the demands of an aging society.
本研究旨在评估社会工作者在老年护理能力方面的教育需求及其对老年人的态度，为制定针对性培训计划提供见解。
本横断面研究对1619名社会工作者进行。使用老年社会工作能力量表和加州大学洛杉矶分校老年态度量表收集数据，并使用IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0进行分析。该研究获得了伊兹密尔大学医学研究伦理委员会的伦理委员会批准（2021年5月27日第21 - 5.1T/63号决定）。
该研究纳入了1619名社会工作者，其中53.8%为女性，中位年龄为32岁。老年社会工作能力量表的结果显示，社会工作者的老年护理能力相对较低。年龄与能力之间呈负相关，而专业经验以及价值观、评估和干预子量表与能力呈正相关。此外，与社会工作者共同生活的老年人数量对其能力有积极影响。加州大学洛杉矶分校老年态度量表表明，社会工作者的年龄与其对老年人的态度呈负相关，而专业经验和参与老年护理在职培训对其态度有积极影响。
本研究强调了制定专门培训计划以提高社会工作者的老年护理能力和对老年人态度的重要性。年龄、专业经验、在职培训以及与老年人的个人互动等关键因素显著影响社会工作者的工作成效。专注于老年护理知识、积极态度和实践技能的量身定制培训举措将更好地使社会工作者有能力满足老龄化社会的需求。
