Knowledge and Attitude of Care Givers towards Elderly Care in Family Settings in Selected Government Areas of Ibadan Oyo State

The issue of elderly care remains a global public health challenge, with most elderly individualsrelying on family members for support. While much research has highlighted the burden ofcaregiving, little attention has been paid to caregivers’ knowledge and attitude toward home-basedelderly care. This study assessed caregivers’ knowledge and attitude of Elderly Care in FamilySettings (ECIFS) in Lagelu and Ibadan North East Local Government Areas of Oyo State, Nigeria.Guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour, a descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted. Amultistage sampling technique selected 300 respondents, and data were collected using a validated,structured questionnaire. Analysis involved descriptive statistics, Pearson chi-square, and meanscores. Findings revealed that the mean age of respondents was 36.8 ± 11.3 years. Over half hadgood knowledge (57.7%) and a positive attitude (57.7%) toward ECIFS. A significant associationwas observed between knowledge and perception (p = 0.006; χ² = 10.10, df = 2). Sociodemographicfactors including age (p = 0.015), educational qualification (p = 0.035), marital status(p = 0.025), and residence (p = 0.013) were significantly associated with attitude, while genderand occupation were not. However, none of the socio-demographic variables significantlyinfluenced knowledge. The study concludes that although caregivers generally exhibited goodknowledge and positive attitudes toward ECIFS, certain gaps persist that may undermine carequality. It recommends intensified public health campaigns to improve awareness andpreparedness for elderly care, targeting caregivers and the wider community.