Youths Opinion on the Elderly

Abstract

Abstract: 

The aging of the population constitutes a major challenge for services that interact in an interdisciplinary way with the elderly.

We carried out a descriptive cross-sectional study to evaluate opinions of young people regarding the elderly in students of the Department of Community Health III FCM UNC.

Anonymous online self-administered survey was conducted using Chi2 and Fisher, designed by Lic. Luis Parodi, and approved by Master's Degree in Gerontology. Chi2 values ​​less than 12.6, p less than 0.023 were obtained.

Inclusion Criteria: students of the subject from the year 2021. 384 students participated, response rate 85%. 87% between 19 and 21 years old, 64.6% Female and 35.4% Male 16.2% do not have a grandparent, of those who have 84.3% do not live with them, 36% see them daily, 79.3% have an affectionate relationship. 65.7% consult in problem situations. 73.6% do not consult in personal aspects. 86.2% know the elderly and live nearby. 52.14% is related to affection, 35.3% with respect and 14.7% does not maintain any relationship. 48.2% do not know the beginning of old age and 51.8% are over 60 years old.

When requesting aspects that are related to old age regardless of age, 22.5% indicated hopelessness. 18.3% do not love life, 24% feel sick and lonely. young people who visualize the elderly in the framework of society neither rejected nor accepted 33.5%, more respected than not respected in 36.2%, more sedentary than laborious 35.6%, more polite than rude 46.9%, more loving than indifferent in 33.9%, which is equally considered more pleasant than unpleasant in 46%, who is socially more abandoned than protected 31.7% is considered wiser than ignorant 46.1%, it is equally annoying than useful 38.2%, equally boring than active by 40.4% and more ignored than heard by 29.3%. 77.3% believe that the main obstacle that stands between the young-old is the time, 15.2% that the young marginalize the old and 6.4% that the old self-marginalize. 92.4% propose meetings and encounters between young and old, 49% think that the young generations reject the old and 51% think that they do not. This work opens new lines of research to consider the Elderly as a subject integrated in society with opportunities and quality of life.