Accurate knowledge about older adults is desirable for research into aging populations. The Palmore Facts on Aging Quiz (FAQ) has been one of the most widely used measures of knowledge about aging that has been used in English-speaking countries. The original true-false version has largely been replaced by the current multiple-choice format. Here I present data on a Canadian multiple-choice FAQ from 172 older adult residents in the community with a mean age of 70.3 years old (SD = 8.88). The mean percentage correct on the Canadian FAQ-2C was 54.4%, a proportion higher than the recent Australian data and some older American data on older adults. The Canadian adaptation of the modified Australian multiple-choice version demonstrates the value of the local verification of FAQ items’ scoring key if the knowledge assessed by the FAQ is to be used accurately in a different country or if the local scoring key was developed several years earlier.
References
[1]
Palmore, E.B. (1998) Facts on Aging Quiz: A Handbook of Uses and Results. 2nd Edition, Springer, New York.
[2]
Matthews, A.M., Tindale, J.A. and Norris, J.E. (1984) The Facts on Aging Quiz: A Canadian Validation and Cross-Cultural Comparison. Canadian Journal on Aging, 3, 165-174. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0714980800004785
[3]
Harris, D.K. and Changas, P.S. (1994) Revision of Palmore’s Second Facts on Aging Quiz from a True-False to a Multiple-Choice Format. Educational Gerontology, 20, 741-754. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0360127940200802
[4]
Harris, D.K., Changas, P.S. and Palmore, E.B. (1996) Palmore’s First Facts on Aging Quiz in a Multiple-Choice Format. Educational Gerontology, 22, 575-589. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0360127960220605
[5]
Nelson, T.D. (2002) Ageism: Stereotyping and Prejudice against Older Persons. MIT Press, Cambridge.
[6]
Pachana, N.A., Helmes, E. and Gudgeon, S. (2013) An Australian Facts on Ageing Quiz. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 32, 117-121. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-6612.2012.00635.x
[7]
Statistics Canada (2014) 2011 Census. Population by Marital Status and Sex. Table 051-0042. Statistics Canada, Ottawa.
[8]
Turcott, M. and Schellenberg, G. (2007) A Portrait of Seniors in Canada 2006 (Cat. No. 89-519). Statistics Canada, Ottawa. www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89-519-x/89-519-x2006001-eng.pdf
[9]
Public Service Commission of Canada (2014) 2012-2014 Annual Report (Cat. No.SC1-2014E). Statistics Canada, Ottawa.
[10]
Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) (2012) Human Resources Management Country Profiles Canada. Author, Paris. http://www.oecd.org/gov/pem/OECD%20HRM%20Profile%20-%20Canada.pdf
[11]
Luszcz, M.A. (1982) Facts on Aging: An Australian Validation. Gerontologist, 22, 369-372.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/geront/22.4.369
[12]
Pennington, H.R., Pachana, N.A., and Coyle, S.L. (2001) Use of the Facts on Aging Quiz in New Zealand: Validation of the Questions, Performance of Student Sample, and Effects of a Don’t Know Option. Educational Gerontology, 27, 409-416. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03601270152053438
[13]
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2003) Health Risk Factors, Australia, 2001 (Cat. No. 4812.0). Author, Canberra.
