Elder abuse and health outcomes among community-dwelling older adults in India: results of a national survey in 2017-2018

Outcomes of elder abuse and neglect in Central Europe: exploring the link between EAN and well-being among non-institutionalized older adults

Informed by existing gaps in the research of elder abuse and neglect (EAN) outcomes and very limited knowledge from Central-European cultural contexts, this paper analyzes the link between domestic-based EAN and three measures of well-being, namely subjective loneliness, sense of control over one's life, and a broader outlook on life. To do this, we used recently (2022) collected EAN survey fielded among home-dwelling residents of the Czech Republic aged 65 + . The results show that there is a clear relationship between EAN and these selected outcomes. Controlling for several sets of potential modifying or confounding factors further indicates that this relationship is substantial and direct, rather than weak and indirect. Among controls, only variables related to disadvantage (health, income, dependency, history of abuse) partly account for the link between EAN and its outcomes due to their relation to both heightened risk of EAN and lower well-being.

Association between Multimorbidity and Psychological Distress among Older Adults in India: The Moderating Role of Elder Abuse

OBJECTIVES

In this study, we examine the association between multimorbidity and psychological distress and to what extent elder abuse mediates the association.

METHODS

We analyzed cross-sectional nationally representative data from the "Building Knowledge Base on Population Ageing in India (BKPAI)." Multivariate logistic regression was used to understand the association between multimorbidity and psychological distress. We used Karlson-Holm- Breen (KHB) method to understand the role of elder abuse in mediating the association between multimorbidity and psychological distress.

RESULTS

Older adults who ever experienced abuse (OR = 1.92 95%CI = 1.62, 2.26, p < .001) or in last one month (OR = 2.09 95%CI = 1.65, 2.64, p < .001) reported higher odds of psychological distress. Further, older adults with four or more chronic diseases are thrice more likely to report psychological distress (OR = 3.03 95%CI = 2.38, 3.82, p < .001). The results further suggest the mediating role of abuse on the association between multimorbidity and psychological distress.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest the role of elder abuse on the association between multimorbidity and psychological distress among older population in India.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Creating an environment to reduce the abuse among older adults who have multimorbidity will be essential to reducing the psychological distress among older adults in India.

Family Members' Abuse of Older Adults, Psychological Well-Being, and Sleep Quality Among Older Women and Men in China

Despite the well-documented detrimental health effects of elder abuse, scholars have rarely considered whether and how family members' abuse of older adults is associated with sleep. Data from the 2018 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (N = 8110) were used to assess the association between elder abuse committed by family members and sleep quality, and how psychological well-being (depression and loneliness) mediates and gender moderates the above association. Results indicated that those who experienced family members' abuse were more likely to report poor sleep quality than their non-abused counterparts. Depression and loneliness partially mediated the elder abuse-sleep relationship. Furthermore, among those who experienced one elder abuse, older women had a higher risk of poor sleep quality than their male counterparts. However, two or more elder abuse experiences had similar negative effects on older women and men. Preventing elder abuse and improving psychological well-being is critical to promoting late-life sleep.

Passive smoking as a risk factor among older adults: an ordered probability approach for Türkiye

Background/aim

Older adults represent a significant proportion of the population of many societies, and being one of the disadvantaged groups, they struggle with various difficulties in their social lives. Undoubtedly, passive smoking is one of these difficulties. Passive smoking among older adults, which is an important public health problem, is an issue that needs to be investigated. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of adults aged 60 and older in Türkiye and their exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS).

Methods

In this study, a microdata set of the 2016 and 2019 Turkey Health Survey conducted by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) was used. This survey was conducted by TUIK in the relevant years using a stratified sampling method to best represent the whole of Turkey. The study considered only demographic and socio-economic characteristics to investigate passive smoking. Since all the variables used in the study were categorical, the relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variables was first investigated using chi-square tests. In addition, since the dependent variable has an ordered-categorical probability form, the generalized ordinal logit model was used for the analysis of passive smoking and related factors.

Results

The rate of exposure to tobacco smoke of older adults who participated in the study in 2016 was 16%, while the rate of those who participated in the study in 2019 was 21%.

Conclusion

According to the findings of the study, older, uneducated, and uninsured smokers carry a more serious SHS risk. It may be beneficial for society for policy makers to carry out studies by considering these features a priority and focusing on policies in this context. Expanding smoke-free areas to cover older adult, increasing penalties as a deterrent, facilitating education, increasing state support for education, increasing education and public service announcements about tobacco harms, and facilitating social security are the main examples. This study's findings are crucial as a source of information for the development of policies and programs aimed at preventing the exposure of older adults to tobacco smoke.

Trends in elder abuse and age discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong: Findings from a two-wave representative telephone survey study

OBJECTIVES

Empirical evidence about the heightened risks of elder abuse and age discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic is scarce. This study aimed to track the changes in rates of both, and investigated their associated factors in the community-dwelling older population in Hong Kong.

METHODS

In this two-wave, cross-sectional telephone survey, we interviewed a population-based sample of individuals (≥55 years), and captured the situation of elder abuse and age discrimination before the COVID-19 outbreak (n = 1209, Wave 1: October-December 2019) and during the pandemic (n = 891, Wave 2: December 2020-January 2021). Participants reported their experiences of different types of abuse and discrimination, financial health, subjective well-being, satisfaction with environment, health and social services, and resilience.

RESULTS

Abuse was reported by 20.2% of the sample before the outbreak and 17.8% during the pandemic; while discrimination was reported by 24.6% and 29.8% at the two time points, respectively. A drop in physical abuse was observed, but it was accompanied by a rise in discrimination in the form of harassment or refusal of services. Findings of logistic regression analysis show that abuse during the pandemic was associated with younger age, poorer subjective well-being, and lower resilience; while discrimination was associated with female gender, being married, and poorer subjective well-being.

CONCLUSIONS

Elder abuse and discrimination were prevalent across time points. The pandemic has highlighted the marginalization of older persons in our communities. There is an urgent need for development of effective interventions to end abuse and discrimination.

Psychological elder abuse among older Saudi adults: A cross-sectional study

The research examining elder abuse in diverse cultural contexts, such as in Saudi Arabia, remains limited. This study examined the extent of psychological elder abuse among older Saudi adults and investigated the characteristics of the victims that increase the risk of such abuse and its impact on older adults' self-rated health. Between December 2021 and April 2022, a sample of 444 older adults were recruited from 25 primary health care centers in Saudi Arabia and completed a structured interview. Of those surveyed, 88.3% reported at least one symptom or suspected symptom of psychological elder abuse. Age, gender, income, living arrangements, functioning, and social networking predicted vulnerability psychological elder abuse. Self-rated health was negatively impacted by psychological elder abuse, and this relationship is not moderated by social networking. These findings can provide insights about psychological elder abuse in Saudi Arabia and increase awareness of its impact.

Elder Mistreatment as a Risk Factor for Depression and Suicidal Ideation in Korean Older Adults

Older adults suffering from mistreatment are especially vulnerable to adverse health outcomes. The current study examined the associations of elder mistreatment (single- and multi-type mistreatment) with depression or suicidal ideation in a Korean representative sample. The data were derived from the 2017 National Survey of Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Korean Older Persons (unweighted n = 10,059 and weighted n = 10,055). Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. In the weighted population, 9.8% of older adults had mistreatment experiences. Results indicated that single- and multi-type mistreatment experiences were associated with increased risks of depression (OR = 1.93, 95% CI = [1.61, 2.32] and OR = 3.51, 95% CI = [2.52, 4.87], respectively), after adjusting for the confounding factors (socio-demographic, health-related, and social relation characteristics). Experiences of single- and multi-type mistreatment were also associated with suicidal ideation (OR = 2.48, 95% CI = [1.97, 3.12] and OR = 3.19, 95% CI = [2.25, 4.51], respectively), even after adjusting for the above confounding factors and depression. Similar results were found in sensitivity analyses using unweighted data. The current findings expanded our knowledge of the associations of mistreatment with depression and suicidal ideation in later life.