Effect of interventions for health care students to develop positive attitude toward the elderly: A meta-analysis...

The rise in the elderly population all over the world has led to an increase in the health care needs of elderly individuals. Thus, health care professionals need programs to help them develop positive attitudes toward the elderly during their education process. This study aims to explore the effect of interventions that encourage health care students to develop positive attitudes toward the elderly.

In this research utilizing the meta-analysis method, searches were conducted across eight databases. Following the screening process, a total of 14 101 studies were retrieved, of which 13 were ultimately included in the meta-analysis.

Following the meta-analysis, the effect size of interventions for positive attitude development toward the elderly was found to be statistically significant at 0.422 (95% confidence interval, 0.013-0.830; P = 0.043).

Thirteen studies in which the effect of interventions for positive attitude development toward the elderly was examined revealed that the effect was moderately in favor of the experimental group. Although there are a large number of studies in the literature that aim to develop positive attitudes toward the elderly, well-designed studies with high methodological quality are needed to obtain high level evidence. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 1370-1379.