Discussing Ageism in A Biology Class

The last module of the Infectious and Chronic Diseases class I teach for in the Public Health program deals with the elderly population. In addition to osteoporosis and other bone/joint diseases, we also discuss elder care in our own cultures and the health care issues we face as we age. Until now, I have not introduced ageism to the module, but next time I teach this class in Fall 2021, this subject will be added to the module.

Here are some readings I have found on ageism and public health:

1. Interventions to Reduce Ageism Against Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (nih.gov)
2. Ageism Amplifies Cost and Prevalence of Health Conditions | The Gerontologist | Oxford Academic (oup.com)
3. Associations between age discrimination and health and wellbeing: cross-sectional and prospective analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing – The Lancet Public Health

In this particular class, we read and write a lot. Most likely I will have the students provide a summary of one of the papers, then ask for a reflection.