Background:
Ageism affects wellbeing and social participation across the life course, yet little is known about how it differs between adults approaching older age and older adults themselves. This study, conducted in Poland, compared the level and structure of everyday ageism in two cohorts of a combined sample of 1000 participants: adults aged 45–60 and adults aged 60+.

Methods:
Two cross-sectional studies were carried out using the 10-item Everyday Ageism Scale (EAS-10). Sample 1 included 432 adults aged 45–60; sample 2 included 568 adults aged 60+. The scale measured exposure to ageist messages, interpersonal ageism, and internalised ageism. Sociodemographic variables included age, gender, education, employment, household structure and place of residence. Group differences and predictors were analysed using multivariate models.

Results:
Ageism levels were higher in adults aged 60+ (M = 11.18, SD 5.57) than in adults aged 45–60 (M = 9.4, SD 4.5). In both cohorts, internalised ageism was the dominant domain. Among adults 60+, higher scores were associated with age ≥75, male gender and living alone. In the 45–60 group, ageism was largely independent of sociodemographic factors, except higher education predicting greater exposure to ageist messages. Interpersonal ageism was the least frequent in both groups.

Conclusions:
Ageism appears before old age and increases in the oldest group. Internalised ageism is the most prevalent form, underscoring the need for targeted interventions for both midlife and older adults.

Authors:
Marta Podhorecka, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Marta Podhorecka, Prof. UMK, is a physiotherapist and researcher at the Department of Geriatrics, NCU. Her interests include healthy ageing, prevention, ageism, senior policy and telecare. She is currently working on projects on longevity.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marta-podhorecka-0287a021b

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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