Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Journal of Caring Sciences 2251-9920 15 1 2026 03 26 Relationship Between Ageist Attitudes and Adverse Childhood Experiences of Health Sciences Students: A Multicenter Study 37 43 10.34172/jcs.026.33678 EN Melike Yalçın Gürsoy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2246-264X Selma İnfal Kesim https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4696-6401 Sabriye Uçan Yamaç https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3932-8017 Aysun Güzel https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7071-3511 Çiğdem Samancı Tekin https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0895-1911 Journal Article 10.34172/jcs.026.33678 2024 08 07 2025 10 05 Introduction: As the global population continues to age, ensuring older adults’ well-being and promoting healthy aging have become increasingly important. In this context, ageism has emerged as a growing public health concern. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between ageist attitudes and adverse childhood experiences among health sciences students. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1,064 undergraduate students from four universities in Turkey completed an online survey including a personal information form, the Ageism Attitude Scale (AAS; possible range 23–115, higher scores indicating more positive attitudes), and the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-Q; possible range 0–10, higher scores indicating more ACEs). Group comparisons in ACE-Q scores by selected characteristics were conducted using independent samples t-test, and the association between AAS total score and ACE-Q total score was examined using Pearson correlation (two-tailed). Results: The mean (SD) scores were 66.29 (9.44) for the AAS and 0.85 (1.49) for the ACE-Q. The most commonly reported ACE item was psychological abuse (21.1%). Pearson correlation showed no significant association between AAS and ACE-Q scores (r=0.036, P=0.247). ACE-Q scores were significantly higher among participants living with an older adult and among those who did not wish to live with an older adult family member in the future (P<0.05). Conclusion: Students demonstrated moderately positive attitudes toward older adults, and approximately one in three participants reported at least one adverse childhood experience. Although AAS and ACE-Q scores were not significantly correlated, higher ACE-Q scores were observed in subgroups defined by living arrangements with older adults and future co-residence preferences.