Gender analysis of nurses' attitude towards care of the elderly with dementia in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

J Women Aging. 2020 Mar-Apr;32(2):203-219. doi: 10.1080/08952841.2019.1682488. Epub 2019 Dec 3.

Abstract

This study assessed nurses' knowledge and attitudes by gender toward the care of elderly patients with dementia and explored gender differences in attitudes and associated factors in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife. The study adopted a sequential explanatory mixed method design to obtain data from 100 nurses selected through a multistage sampling technique. Data analysis was done at univariate, bivariate, and multivariate levels with a significance at P < .05. Findings revealed that a majority of the nurses have good knowledge and attitudes toward the care of elderly patients with dementia. Previous experience in a specialized unit (Odd = 2.879, CI = 0.013-8.287, P = .047) was the main predictor for the nurses' attitude.

Keywords: Elderly patients with dementia; gender analysis; nurses’ attitudes.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Attitude of Health Personnel*
  • Dementia / nursing*
  • Female
  • Health Services for the Aged*
  • Hospitals, Teaching
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Nigeria
  • Nurses / psychology*
  • Qualitative Research
  • Sex Factors*