Assessment of attitudes and behaviors of health sciences faculty students toward geriatric parasites

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the attitudes and behaviors of students at the Faculty of Health Sciences of İnönü University towards geriatric parasites, to assess their level of knowledge, and to raise awareness on the subject. Additionally, it is intended to introduce the concept of "geriatric parasite" into the literature. Method: The research was designed as a cross-sectional study with analytical features. A total of 866 students participated in the study. Data were collected using a sociodemographic information form, a geriatric parasite knowledge questionnaire, and a hygiene behavior scale. IBM SPSS Statistics 26 was used for data analysis. Due to the non-normal distribution of the data, non-parametric tests were preferred. Results with a p-value ≤ 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: According to the findings, the knowledge levels of health sciences students regarding geriatric parasites were found to be low. Significant differences were observed between students' departments, places of residence, and hygiene habits in relation to their level of knowledge about geriatric parasites. However, variables such as age, gender, and year of study did not have a significant effect on knowledge level. A significant positive correlation was found between knowledge of geriatric parasites and hygiene behaviors. Conclusion: More emphasis should be placed on geriatric parasitology in the students' educational programs.