Effects of inter-group contact training on aging-related stereotypes among undergraduate nursing students: a randomized controlled trial

Strategies to build a larger workforce of geriatric care providers are needed. One method to address the shortage of geriatric care providers is inter-group contact training to improve aging-related stereotypes among undergraduate nursing students, who are an important reserve for geriatric care. But studies on inter-group contact training for nursing students and nurses are limited. To explore the effects of inter-group contact training on aging-related stereotypes, inter-group anxiety, and willingness to engage in geriatric nursing. A pretest-posttest parallel randomized controlled trial, registration number: NCT06615219 (ClinicalTrials.gov). Nursing students were randomly assigned to experimental group (<i>n</i> = 66) and control group (<i>n</i> = 60). The experimental group received inter-group contact training, while the control group received regular training. The program lasted 12 weeks, and outcomes were assessed using t-tests and rank-sum tests. The experimental group demonstrated significantly lower scores on aging-related stereotypes and inter-group anxiety, as well as increased willingness to engage in geriatric care after the intervention. Inter-group contact training effectively improved stereotypes and anxiety, while increasing willingness to work in geriatric care. Further research and the development of inter-group contact courses tailored for healthcare professionals are recommended.