Attitudes of Family Medicine Residents Towards the Elderly in Turkey: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: Healthcare services to the geriatric population are provided mainly by family physicians working. Therefore, family physicians' attitudes towards the elderly are key to the quality of healthcare services this population receives. This study was conducted to investigate the attitudes of family medicine residents who will soon work in primary healthcare institutions towards the elderly and the factors affecting these attitudes. Methods: This cross-sectional study featured an online survey. The data collection form included the University of California, Los Angeles Geriatrics Attitudes Scale (UCLA-GAS) and questions about residents' sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes towards the elderly. Results: Of the 386 full-time family medicine residents included in the sample, 69.7% were under the age of 30, and 72% were female. The mean duration the residents had been practicing medicine was 4.15±2.86 years, and the mean duration they had been residents was 22.6±11.2 months. Residents' attitudes towards the elderly were neutral-to-slightly positive. The mean UCLA-GAS scores of residents who did not receive structured geriatrics education as part of their family medicine residency were found to be significantly higher than those who did (p=0.007). Conclusion: Improving the positive attitudes of primary care physicians, to whom the elderly population first consults to receive health care, is important in terms of keeping the elderly population healthy and successful aging.