Ageism in Nursing Care and Its Attributed Factors in Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Study in Iran 2023 Publisher Pubmed

Summary: Study reveals nurses show low ageism but 30% reluctant to care for elderly. Gender and ward type influence ageism perceptions. How can we combat age bias in caregiving? #Nursing #Ageism

M Khodabandeh MAHDIEH ; Nm Masoudialavi Negin MASOUDI ; M Taebi MAHBOUBE
Source: Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology Published:2025

Abstract

Ageism, a systematic process of discriminatory behavior toward older adults, can have negative consequences for patients. The aim of this study was to investigate ageism in providing nursing care and its attributed factors in hospitals of Kashan/Iran in 2023. A sample of 300 nurses were randomly recruited to this cross-sectional study, and completed the questionnaire of ageism in nursing care and its attributed factors. Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman’s correlation and multivariate linear regression analysis statistical tests were used for data analysis. Participants had a mean age of 35.2 ± 8.47 years, with 218 (72.7%) being female. The mean ageism score was 41 ± 8.9 (range: 26–70), indicating relatively low age-based discrimination. However, 90 nurses (30%) expressed reluctance to care for older adult patients. Ageism scores showed significant relationships with gender, type of ward, interest in geriatric nursing, accompanying elderly relatives in the hospital, the relationship with grandparents, age, and work experience. Multivariate regression revealed that attributed factors could explain 12.3% of the variance in ageism scores, with only gender and type of ward having a significant relationship. Although the ageism score was low, a considerable percentage of nurses expressed discriminatory views toward older adult patients. Preventing ageism in nursing care remains a challenge for healthcare services. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.