Assessment of the attitudes toward aging among children who live with the elderly

Objective: To evaluate the attitude of children who live with seniors with non-transmissible chronic diseases toward aging and the related sociodemographic variables. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 48 children aged seven to ten years. We used the following instruments: sociodemographic questionnaire and attitude scale for children in relation to aging. This instrument includes four domains and evaluates the attitude toward aging on a scale ranging from 1 (more positive attitude) to 3 (more negative attitude). Results: Mean score was 1.79 +/- 0.19. Between domains, the domain showing the lowest mean value was the Persona domain (1.70 +/- 0.33). The highest value was seen in the Agency domain (1.84 +/- 0.40). Variables that showed a relation (p<0.05) with attitudes were family income, degree of kinship and time of contact daily with senior and the type of non-transmissible chronic disease of the elderly. Conclusion: Children had more positive than negative attitudes toward aging.