Ageism scale for dental students (ASDS): A focus group review of content validity

Improve content validity of the Ageism Scale for Dental Students (ASDS) and identify barriers to using the scale.

Thematic analysis of transcripts of three purposively sampled focus groups of 1) geriatric dentistry specialists, 2) older adult dental patients, and 3) dental students.

Twenty-five participants engaged in focus groups. No new concepts to define ageism were identified. Experts found the scale acceptable and appropriate, yet they raised specific potential revisions to scale questions. Commonly reported themes already addressed by ASDS included the importance of tailoring decision-making to patient preference and not making assumptions about older adults' capacity or preferences for dental care. Barriers to identifying ageism or using the scale included experiential differences in interpreting scale items, cultural differences in attitudes towards older adults, and potential overlap with social determinants of health. Secondary findings include recommendations for older-adult focused training for dental students to provide positive, concrete guidance on caring for older adults.

There are opportunities to refine the Ageism Scale for Dental Students and to allow tailoring of the scale for specific national or cultural contexts.