Abordagem profissional da violência familiar contra o idoso em uma unidade básica de saúde

A One Welfare approach to identify socioeconomic vulnerability in families during investigations into companion animal abuse in Pinhais, Brazil

A One Welfare approach allows intervention to resolve problems related to the human-animal-environment interface. However, in Brazil and many other countries, there is poor communication between human and animal welfare services. In this research we considered a One Welfare approach in cases of abuse involving dogs and cats. When investigating pet abuse, professionals from the Animal Welfare Division of Pinhais, Brazil, can enter the home environment. During routine animal abuse investigations, the demographic profile of pet owners and their socioeconomic vulnerability was also recorded. Results from forty-five cases with (n = 30) and without (n = 15) suspicion of socioeconomic vulnerability were sent to the Department of Social Assistance of Pinhais, Brazil for confirmation. Socioeconomic vulnerability was suspected if socioeconomic problems were reported by the pet owners under investigation or their neighbours, as well by assessment of the socioeconomic environment of the families during home visits. Economic disadvantage was the most prevalent socioeconomic vulnerability. Cohen's Kappa coefficients support the ability of animal welfare service professionals to detect socioeconomic vulnerability. Almost half of all families considered to have socioeconomic vulnerability had not previously participated in social programmes. In all cases involving families already being assisted by the Department of Social Assistance, pets were found to be suffering abuse. Families with socioeconomic vulnerability confirmed were included in the social programmes. These results support the need for a multi-disciplinary approach to improve the well-being of families with dogs and cats. This study can help guide the development of an interdisciplinary approach to address animal abuse cases.

Characterization and completeness of notification sheet of violence against the older adults in Niterói-RJ, 2011-2020

OBJECTIVE

to analyze the profile of violence against the elderly and the degree of completeness of event notification forms in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

METHODS

this was a descriptive study having as its data source violence notification forms held on the Notifiable Health Conditions Information System for the period 2011-2020; analysis of form completeness was performed according to criteria proposed by the Ministry of Health.

RESULTS

of the 486 registered cases, physical violence was the most reported type of violence (48.1%), followed by psychological violence (22.2%) and self-harm (21.4%); the fields with the highest degree of incompleteness were victim's level of schooling (32.8%) and repeat violence (41.5%).

CONCLUSION

despite the increase in notifications in the period, predominantly of physical violence, completeness of some of the form fields continues to be poor, which reinforces the importance of training professionals to improve the reporting process and data quality.

Elder abuse in Brazil: an integrative review

Abstract Objective: the present study aimed to carry out an integrative review of literature on the scientific knowledge relating to the occurrence of elder abuse produced in Brazil between the years of 2013 to 2017. Method: a bibliographic survey was carried out through publications indexed in the Virtual Health Library (VHL) database: the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SCIELO), Latin American Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS) and the CAPES Portal of Periodicals (CAPES). The data collection instrument, created by the authors, included characteristics such as: year of publication, main journals, research design, topics covered, main areas of knowledge, sampling and study objectives. Results: 28 publications were analyzed. The main types of violence were psychological (28%), physical (28%), unspecified (16%), financial (12%), self-abandonment (8%), neglect and verbal violence (4%). The majority of the victims were female (64%), of unspecified gender (28%) and male (8%). Conclusion: the present integrative review found that the main violence suffered was psychological together with physical, with the elderly the main victims. The main place of maltreatment was in the home. The research also found that there are gaps in information about the reasons that triggered the aggressions. It is therefore necessary to investigate this subject further and carry out new studies that seek to identify these factors.

Violence against the Brazilian elderlies: an analysis of hospitalizations

OBJECTIVE

to identify the prevalence of physical aggression and neglect and abandonment in the hospitalizations of Brazilian elderly people for violence and assault from 2008 to 2013 and the association of these causes with socio-demographic variables related to hospitalization.

METHOD

quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study with elderlies hospitalized for assault.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

to be 60 years old or over, to have been hospitalized in the Unified Health System (SUS) for assault or neglect and abandonment, between 2008 and 2013. The data were collected in February 2016, in Datasus database and descriptive and inferentially, using the Chi-square distribution, in the Epi Info 3.5.4 program.

RESULTS

the prevalence of hospitalizations due to assaults and violence prevailed among 60 and 69 years old men in the public sector. For abandonment and neglect, there was a higher prevalence in women, over 80 years old, in the public sector.

CONCLUSION

nurses must be able to identify and prevent violence against the elderly.

Violence and Primary Health Care in Brazil: an integrative literature review

Violence is a challenge for health services in Brazil, especially within primary care. This study analyses national publications on violence and Primary Health Care. An integrative literature review was conducted resulting in a final sample of 18 articles. The most predominant theme was violence against women (nine articles), followed by violence against children and adolescents (four articles), and violence against the elderly (three articles). The population group that accounted for the least number of publications was men, with two articles. The studies show the invisibility of violence in primary healthcare services in Brazil and the need to reorganize the work process beyond a complaint-based approach towards a sociocultural approach based on intersectorality. Comprehensiveness and intersectorality are essential elements of an effective violence care network.

Violence against the elderly: the conceptions of nursing professionals regarding detection and prevention

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the conceptions of the nursing professionals working in Basic Health Units regarding the detection and prevention of violence against the elderly.

METHODS

Descriptive, exploratory, qualitative study. Performed in two BHUs in Mossoró/RN, using a semi-structured interview script, from March to August of 2013. Sample composed of four nurses and six nursing technicians. The content analysis, pre-analysis, material exploration, and treatment of results were performed.

RESULTS

Four categories were identified: Strategies used to identify violence against the elderly; Types of violence against the elderly; Conduct used after finding a suspicion of violence; SUS and the problem of violence against the elderly. Many professionals recognize/distrust possible cases, however, they do not know how to proceed. The dimension of the problem requires that pragmatic interventions be performed in the clinical setting and in the social context.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

There is a need for continuing education for professionals and greater communication between the bodies responsible for reporting and embracement.

Notification of intrafamily violence against elderly women in the city of São Paulo

Abstract Objective: the aim of the present study was to characterize the population of elderly women who have suffered sexual and physical violence and describe the characteristics of this aggression. Method: a cross-sectional study was carried out using secondary data from the Violence and Accident Surveillance Information System, which registers reports of physical and sexual violence against the female population aged 60 and older. Results: in 2013 289 acts of physical violence against elderly women in the city of São Paulo were recorded, and sexual violence was reported in ten cases. Conclusion: physical and sexual violence occurred mainly in the family environment, with the majority of aggressors male and a family member or known to the victim. In their direct and daily dealings with elderly health service users at all levels of complexity, doctors should know how to investigate and identify cases of violence, properly approach patients, act in coordination with other professionals and apply interventions that are effective for each case.

Cross-sectional study on the association between frailty and violence against community-dwelling elderly people in Brazil

BACKGROUND

The physical, emotional and cognitive limitations that may be present in the aging process, coupled with family unpreparedness, may lead to greater dependence among the elderly. This favors development of frailty syndrome and greater levels of violence against the elderly. The objective here was to analyze the association between violence against the elderly and frailty; and the geographic distribution of violence against the elderly according to the presence of frailty syndrome.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Cross-sectional study on 705 community-dwelling elderly people in Uberaba (MG), Brazil.

METHODS

The Fried frailty phenotype and conflict tactics scale were used. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the chi-square test and a logistic regression model. The intensity of the events and the relationship between clusters of violence and frailty status were assessed by means of kernel estimation.

RESULTS

The adjusted analysis indicated that pre-frailty and frailty were associated with physical and verbal aggression (odds ratio, OR = 1.51; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.04-2.19; OR = 2.12; 95% CI: 1.29-3.47), frailty was associated with physical aggression (OR = 2.48; 95% CI: 1.25-4.94) and pre-frailty and frailty were associated with verbal aggression (OR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.03-2.15; OR = 2.15; 95% CI: 1.31-3.52), respectively. Regardless of frailty status and its relationship with violence, clusters of occurrences were larger in similar regions in the southeastern part of the municipality; but superimposition of overlays relating to aggression showed that for frail individuals the clusters were smaller than for non-frail and pre-frail individuals.

CONCLUSIONS

The condition of frailty was associated with greater chances of violence against the elderly.

Physical and sexual aggression against elderly persons reported in the city of São Paulo

Objectives : To characterize the population of elderly people who have suffered physical and sexual violence, and describe the features of this aggression based on the Information System for Violence and Injury Surveillance (ISVIS) of the Municipal Health Department of the city of São Paulo. Method : A cross-sectional, retrospective study was performed of all cases of elderly victims of physical and sexual violence reported in São Paulo in 2013. Results : A total of 602 cases of elderly victims of physical abuse were reported, of which 52.3% were male. In the same period there were ten reported cases of elderly victims of sexual assault, 90% of whom were female. The main diagnosis of injury was head trauma (33.2%) and 65.0% of victims were discharged from hospital immediately. Conclusion : Physical abuse with the use of physical force was higher among male elderly persons, and sexual assault was higher among women. Most of the attacks took place at the residence of the elderly person, and were committed by family members.

[Brazilian Portuguese cross-cultural adaptation of the Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale (VASS) for screening of violence against the elderly]

The literature indicates a lack of available tools in Portuguese for detecting violence against the elderly. It thus seems appropriate to provide Portuguese-language versions of tools originating from other cultures. The Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale (VASS) contains 12 items that identify the risk of violence against the elderly. The current study aimed to conduct a Brazilian Portuguese cultural adaptation of VASS. The concept used to construct the instrument and its items proved appropriate for investigating the target phenomenon. The study showed good semantic equivalence between items in the back-translations and the original instrument, especially for T1 - R1. The judges opted to use 11 items from T1 for the short version. Operational equivalence was satisfactory. The results were generally acceptable. However, the instrument still failed to show sufficiently satisfactory results to confirm the feasibility of its use. In conclusion, the instrument needs to be revised and replicated to further verify its validity.