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Undergraduate knowledge of aging: a comparative study of biopsychosocial content
JoAnn Damron-Rodriguez1, Brooke Funderburk, Martin Lee
1Department of Social Welfare, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1656, USA. jdamron@ucla.edu
Abstract:
This study assesses undergraduate knowledge of aging, distinguishing between types of deficits (ignorance vs. misinformation) and content areas as delineated by a biopsychosocial framework. Knowledge is examined as an outcome of taking an aging elective, while accounting for course rating and knowledge retention. A diverse body of UCLA undergraduate students who took an aging course (n = 349) and a stratified random comparison group (n = 430) took Palmore's Facts on Aging Quiz and scored 14 and 12 items correct, respectively. Undergraduates (n = 779) showed a good knowledge of aging in the psychological- cognitive domain, but consistent with previous findings, they exhibited deficits primarily in the social-demographic realm. Taking an aging course was significantly related to better overall knowledge of aging (correct) (p = .0001), and fewer don't know responses (p =.0001). Course rating and shorter timing until testing were also significantly related to better knowledge.
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