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Updated: May 2, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
A comparison of pharmacy students' and active older adults' perceptions regarding geriatric quality of life
Adrienne M Gilligan1, James Aaron Loui1, Ashorena Mezdo1
1College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
Objectives:
To measure perceptions of quality of life (QOL) in an active geriatric population and compare their responses with pharmacy students' perceptions of older adult QOL.
Methods:
Pharmacy students and active older adults completed the modified and standard version of a validated health survey instrument, respectively, and their responses were compared.
Results:
Eighty-six students and 20 active older adults participated. Student perceptions of geriatric QOL were significantly lower in all domains except health change compared to older adult perceptions (p<0.001 for all domains). Interest in a geriatric pharmacy career (p=0.04) and previously having taken the Perspectives in Geriatrics course and laboratory (p=0.05 and 0.02, respectively) were significantly associated with higher student scores on the physical component portion of the survey.
Conclusion:
Stronger emphasis on geriatric QOL within pharmacy curricula may improve pharmacy students' perceptions regarding outcomes related to healthy older adults.
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