Attitudes of physiotherapists' towards ageism

The study was conducted to determine the attitudes of physiotherapists towards ageism and to compare them with non-healthcare professionals (NHP). A total of 214 participants, including 107 physiotherapists and 107 NHP who answered all online shared data collection forms, were included in the study. In the study, data were collected with the Ageism Attitude Scale (AAS) and the Personal Information Form created by the researcher. It was found that the total AAS score averages were 90.16±6.85 in physiotherapists and 87.85±8.29 in NHP group. A statistically significant difference was observed between the Positive Discrimination sub-dimension and AAS total scores of physiotherapists and NHP group (p<0,05). A statistically significant positive correlation at a low level (r=0,242, p<0,05) was found between professional experience and the sub-dimension score of Negative Discrimination among physiotherapists. When physiotherapists were grouped based on their academic levels and compared in terms of ageism attitudes, a significant difference was found in Limiting the Life of the Elderly sub-dimension scores (p<0,05), while the groups were similar in terms of other sub-dimensions and total scores (p>0,05). When physiotherapists were grouped according to their working status with individuals over 65 years of age, the total scores of AAS and the sub-dimension scores Limiting the Life of the Elderly were compared, the scores of the working physiotherapists were lower, and a statistically significant difference was observed between the groups (p<0,05). According to the research findings, physiotherapists do not discriminate against the elderly. It has been observed that NHP group do not engage in age discrimination, but they have lower scores compared to physiotherapists. It is recommended to carry out more research on ageism in Turkey and to raise awareness of physiotherapists through curriculum and in-service training.