The Relationships between Information Sources, Perspectives on Public Health Policies, and Ageism

Background and Purpose: Global concerns over heightening ageism have been raised throughout and after the COVID-19 pandemic. While it was often argued that age-based public health policies at earlier stages of the pandemic had contributed to intergenerational tension, little evidence was available about the argument. In response, the present study aimed to understand younger adults’ ageism in the context of public health crises by examining the relationships between younger adults’ perspectives on health policies, sources of health information, and the intensity of their ageism. Research questions that the present study sought to answer included the followings. First, which form of ageism–hostile or benevolent– is more prevalent among younger adults? Second, are their beliefs about COVID-19 associated with ageism? Third, are the sources they rely on for public health information associated with ageism?

Methods: For a quantitative inquiry, survey data were collected in the United States between July 2021 and September 2021. Survey respondents were recruited via nonprobability sampling method by posting recruitment fliers on Facebook. A total of 317 responses from individuals ages 18 to 44 were considered valid. In measuring the respondents’ ageism, Ambivalent Ageism Scale, which is a standardized instrument to capture multifaceted attitudes toward older adults, was adopted. The survey data were analyzed, using a paired sample t-test to compare the score of hostile ageism subscale with that of benevolent ageism subscale. Next, multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to determine whether COVID-related beliefs and information sources were associated with the overall magnitude of ageism.

Results: Analysis results showed that benevolent ageism was more intense than hostile ageism among the survey respondents. Their intensity of ageism was significantly associated with their beliefs about safety measures and the prioritization of older adults in distributing medical resources, as well as with their choice of information sources (e.g., social media) to receive public health information.

Conclusions and Implications: These findings indicate that health policy decisions should be made, based on individualized medical assessment, ethical standards, and scientific data rather than age thresholds. The findings can also inform people working for older adults, including those in social work and other helping professions, about future directions for combating ageism in times of public health crises. They are encouraged to guide younger adults to accept health information critically and to use various information sources for health information. According to the Grand Challenges of Social Work, ageism is a huge barrier to “advancing healthy and productive lives” and “achieving equal opportunity and justice” for older adults. Social workers should be well aware of different forms of ageism, as well as how ageism threats our society’s equity, justice, and inclusion, as the awareness may affect their professionalism in serving older clients. Based on its findings, the present study suggests that effective anti-ageism education models be integrated into social work programs.