Ageist Stereotypes and Attitudes Towards Older People in Türkiye

With the population aging in Türkiye, the nature of intergenerational relationships in society has begun to change, which has brought about ageism and age-based discrimination. Acquiring a higher visibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, ageism has serious negative consequences both for those exposed to it and for the society. This study aims to examine the prevalence of ageist stereotypes and attitudes towards older people in Türkiye. Quantitative analyses were conducted on secondary data obtained from a survey with a nationally representative sample on ageism and age discrimination. Results showed that older people were more commonly described as 'wise', 'competent' and 'reliable', while less commonly described as 'healthy', 'in touch with life,' and 'friendly'. Additionally, the prevalence of describing older people as healthy, friendly, and trustworthy was lower among younger people compared to middle-aged and older people. Younger people’s agreement with four ageist statements regarding the participation of older people and their impact in social life is higher than middle-aged and older people. Ordinal regression analyses were conducted to investigate the factors associated with negative attitudes towards older people. They revealed that age and lifestyle are the most significant factors shaping ageist attitudes, but a distinct set of factors shape each attitude.