Translation and Preliminary Validation of the Turkish Version of an Ageism Scale for Dental Students.

AIMS

Ageism, also known as age-based discrimination, refers to the discrimination individuals face due to their older adult status. This type of discrimination is recognized internationally as a problem that has negative effects on individuals. The Ageism Scale for Dental Students (ASDS) was developed to evaluate dental students' attitudes toward providing oral healthcare to older adults and has been successfully implemented across different cultures. The aim of this study is to translate and validate the ASDS in Turkish (ASDS-Tr).

METHODS

This study utilized the original 27-item ASDS along with five demographic questions. The study group consisted of 270 undergraduate students from the Istanbul University Faculty of Dentistry.

RESULTS

The scale items assessing dental students' attitudes toward older adults were analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The final PCA model comprised 15 items and five components, explaining a total variance of 58.9%. The Cronbach's α coefficient for these 15 items was 0.582, indicating acceptable internal consistency.

CONCLUSION

ASDS-Tr has undergone a preliminary validation study for use in Turkey, yielding positive results. The preliminary validation of ASDS-Tr produced 15 items scale with five components with acceptable validity and reliability. This scale aims to effectively assess dental students' attitudes toward older adults in Turkey.