Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Older Adult Abuse among UNIMAS Undergraduate Nursing Students
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Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)
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Background: Older adult abuse represents a significant and escalating public health concern that demands prompt recognition and appropriate intervention by healthcare professionals. Malaysia's rapidly aging population, projected to reach 15.3% by 2030, intensifies the urgency of preparing nursing students to identify and respond to older abuse effectively. As future frontline healthcare providers, undergraduate nursing students must possess comprehensive knowledge and demonstrate positive attitudes toward recognizing and managing abuse among older adults. Objectives: This study aimed to: (1) assess the level of knowledge regarding older adult abuse among UNIMAS undergraduate nursing students, (2) examine attitudes toward older adult abuse, and (3) analyse the relationship between knowledge and attitudes regarding this critical issue. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate nursing students at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). Using simple random sampling, 163 participants from Year 1 to Year 4 were recruited. Data collection employed a validated, structured questionnaire comprising 26 items across three sections: sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge regarding possible causes of older adult abuse, and attitudes encompassing both victim-blaming tendencies and social responsibility perspectives. The reliability coefficients were acceptable (knowledge scale: α = 0.80; attitude scale: α = 0.73). Data analysis utilized IBM SPSS version 27, employing descriptive statistics and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Results: Participants demonstrated moderate to high knowledge levels regarding older adult abuse, with 55.8% (n=91) showing moderate knowledge and 42.9% (n=70) exhibiting high knowledge. Attitudes toward older adult abuse were moderately positive (median = 38, IQR iv = 6). However, Spearman's correlation analysis revealed no statistically significant relationship between knowledge and attitudes (rs = 0.052, p = 0.511), suggesting that increased knowledge does not necessarily translate into more positive attitudes toward addressing older adult abuse. Conclusions: While UNIMAS undergraduate nursing students possess adequate knowledge about older adult abuse, the absence of a significant knowledge-attitude relationship indicates that cognitive understanding alone may be insufficient for developing appropriate professional responses. These findings underscore the critical need for educational interventions that integrate both knowledge acquisition and attitude development through experiential learning, simulation-based training and reflective practice. Future nursing curricula should emphasize not only the recognition of abuse indicators but also the cultivation of empathy, ethical reasoning and confidence in intervention strategies to better prepare nursing graduates for protecting vulnerable older adult populationspopulation.