Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses of Effective Programs for Reducing Ageism Toward Older Adults

Abstract

A systematic review and meta-analyses examined intervention strategies to reduce ageism toward older adults using AgeLine, EBSCO, Embase, Campbell Collaboration, CINAHL, CDSR, DARE, Google Scholar, MedlinePlus, PROSPERO, PsycINFO, PubMed, ProQuest for dissertations, and SSCI from inception to September 2021. These meta-analyses involved within-subject ( n = 74; 6271 participants) and between-subject designs ( n = 78; 6857 participants) across 11 countries and 45 years with participants ages 3–45 years. Examining PEACE model components (Levy, 2018), the aggregate effect sizes were statistically significant for between-subject (within-subject) studies measuring ageist attitudes, g = 0.326 ( g = 0.108) and aging knowledge, g = 0.583 ( g = 0.304). Separate meta-analyses of contact programs showed significant estimated effect sizes among between-subject ( g = 0.329) and within-subject studies ( g = 0.263). Along with results from moderation analyses, a main conclusion is that effective interventions include education about aging and positive intergenerational contact (individualized, equal status, and in-person).