A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF PERCEIVED RESPECT AMONG ELDERS - CHANGING PERCEPTIONS FOR SOME ETHNIC-GROUPS

This study assessed changes in older peoples' levels of perceived respect between the 1970s and the 1980s using data from the Aging in Manitoba Study. A longitudinal analysis was conducted for Manitobans, age 65 and over, who were interviewed in the mid 1970s and subsequently reinterviewed in the early 1980s. Changes in perceived respect scores for those who survived into the 1980s, and who provided ratings at both interviews (n = 776), were assessed in a repeated measures ANOVA. Significant increases were found in the mean level of respect for some ethnic groups, namely for the British, French, and German. A subsequent analysis indicated that the reported improvements in perceived respect could not be explained by participation in the study. These results may suggest that over the decade, the social climate of the elderly population in Manitoba has improved, at least for some ethnic groups.