title: KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES OF HEALTH CARE SCIENCE STUDENTS TOWARD OLDER PEOPLE.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Education of health science students in geriatrics is important in order to provide optimal care for the growing number of elderly people because it is the attitudes of health professionals toward the elderly that play the key role in the quality of care provided. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitudes of health care science students towards ageing and care for the elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present cross-sectional study was carried out on a sample of 130 students (medical, nursing and special education and rehabilitation) of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad. The students were divided into two groups. The first group (E) included students having been taught geriatrics and nursing older adults and the other group (C) included students who had not been trained in this subject. The authors used Palmore's facts on Ageing Quiz for the knowledge evaluation and Kogan's Attitude toward Older People Scale for the attitude evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of Facts on Aging Quiz showed the average level of students' knowledge and statistically significant difference between E and C group. The analysis of Kogan's Attitudes toward Old People Scale showed that both groups had neutral attitudes toward older people. Furthermore, a positive correlation between students' knowledge and attitudes was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is increasing evidence on the correlation between education, knowledge and attitudes toward older people which suggests that by acquiring better insights into all aspects of ageing through their education the students develop more positive attitudes and interest in working with older adults.
authors.forename: Dragana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Milutinović
authors.forename: Dragana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simin
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kacavendić
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Turkulov
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D063506:Ageism; D000375:Aging; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005853:Geriatrics; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*