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Medical students' attitudes towards older persons - a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Ali Vahedi1,2, Åsa G Andersson3, Brynjar Fure1,2
1Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Geriatric Medicine, Central Hospital Karlstad, Region Värmland, Sweden.
Medical Education Online
|April 21, 2026
Summary
Empathy-based teaching improved medical students' attitudes toward older adults, combating ageism. Traditional methods showed no effect, suggesting empathy integration in curricula is key for better geriatric care. Further global studies are needed.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Geriatrics
- Social Determinants of Health
Background:
- Ageism significantly impacts older adults' health, well-being, and healthcare quality.
- Understanding medical students' attitudes towards aging is crucial for addressing the needs of a growing elderly population.
- Interventions to reduce ageism among medical students are essential for improving geriatric care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review interventions aimed at reducing ageism among medical students.
- To analyze the impact of different teaching methods on medical students' attitudes towards older persons.
- To identify effective strategies for fostering positive attitudes in future healthcare professionals.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted across major databases (Medline, Cochrane Library, Epistemonikos, PubMed) up to August 23rd, 2024.
- Included studies examined medical students' attitudes towards older adults and interventions designed to influence these attitudes.
- Meta-analyses were performed on pooled data from 21 included studies, totaling 3940 medical students.
Main Results:
- Empathy-based teaching interventions showed a statistically significant positive effect (SMD 0.18) on improving medical students' attitudes.
- Traditional teaching methods did not demonstrate a positive effect (SMD -0.13) and may even increase negative attitudes.
- High heterogeneity (I² 75-85%) across studies necessitates cautious interpretation of the findings.
Conclusions:
- Empathy-based educational approaches appear effective in improving medical students' attitudes towards older adults.
- Integrating empathy-focused components into medical curricula could be a strategy to combat ageism in healthcare.
- Further research is required to validate these findings globally and explore long-term impacts.
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