The Impact of Abuse on the Quality of Life of the Elderly: A Population-based Survey in Iran

The Quality of Life of Older Adults in Rural Eastern India and Its Influencing Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study

Aims This study aimed to assess the quality of life (QoL) of older adults in rural Odisha, India, exploring its multidimensional nature across physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains. The impact of depression and various sociodemographic factors on QoL was also investigated. Methods The research was conducted in the Tangi block of Khordha district, Odisha, encompassing 468 older adults. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), and sociodemographic questionnaire were used in data collection. Sampling employed a multistage approach, with statistical analysis utilizing Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY), including t-tests for normally distributed data and the Mann-Whitney U test for non-normally distributed data. Results The QoL of older adults in rural Odisha showed variability, with physical and social domains exhibiting relatively positive scores compared to psychological and environmental domains. Depression significantly impacted all QoL dimensions, with the most profound effect observed in global QoL and global health. Sociodemographic factors such as employment, substance use, elder abuse, adverse life events, and poverty were identified as significant determinants of global QoL. Additionally, recreational activity, elder abuse, education, and employment significantly affected all QoL domains. Conclusions This study reveals the complex landscape of QoL of older adults in rural Odisha. The findings emphasize the need for comprehensive interventions targeting mental health, social support, and environmental conditions to enhance the overall well-being of this population. Policymakers and healthcare professionals should consider these multidimensional factors to develop effective strategies for improving the QoL of older adults in similar contexts.

Elderly Abuse and Neglect on Population Health: Literature Review and Interventions from Selected Countries

Elderly abuse and neglect are among the primary public health problems linked to global demographic changes in the population, impacting not only the well-being of the elderly but also the growth of the nation or economy. This article discusses the effects of elder abuse and neglect on population health from the national and international perspectives through a narrative review of previously published articles on the concept of aging, the prevalence of elderly abuse and neglect, its risk factors and effects, and finally measures, legal perspectives, and recommendations to curb it. Interventions in Malaysia and selected nations, including Indonesia, South Korea, the United States, Australia, and Hong Kong, are examined. This issue is important as the majority of countries are moving toward being elderly populations. Improving global surveillance and the monitoring of instances is essential to inform policy actions to prevent elder abuse. In addition, a thorough assessment of the identified risk factors for violence and steps to prevent violence is required.

The relationship of general, physical, and psychological violence with depressive symptoms and cognition in elders (cross-sectional study)

OBJECTIVES

to analyze the relationship of general, physical, and psychological violence with depressive symptoms and cognition in the elderly.

METHODS

quantitative, cross-sectional study, carried out with 323 elders from the Brazilian northeast. Data collection used a sociodemographic instrument; the Conflict Tactics Scales Form R; the Geriatric Depression Scale; and the Mini-Mental State Examination. The analysis employed descriptive and inferential statistics.

RESULTS

as violence increases, so do the depressive symptoms; the opposite was true when comparing violence with cognitive involvement. There is a correlation between physical and psychological violence and depressive symptoms; more depressive elders are from 1.96 to 3.00 times more likely to be the victims of psychological and physical violence, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

general, physical, and psychological violence is associated with depressive symptoms; those with less cognitive alterations are more vulnerable to abuse. Elders with depressive symptoms are more likely to suffer psychological and physically violence.

Elderly abuse, affecting factors and evaluation of life satisfaction: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of abuse and its effect on life satisfaction in older adults living in our region.

METHOD

This research is a cross-sectional study. The participants of the study were an elderly population who applied to one 'family health centre'. The study was completed with the participation of 332 people. The study was carried out between June and July 2021. A questionnaire form, Geriatric Mistreatment Scale (GMS), Hwalek-Sengstock Elder Abuse Screening Test (H-S/EAST), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) were used in the study.

RESULTS

According to the GMS, 16.0% of the participants experience abuse. Psychological abuse (6.92%) was the highest according to the GMS sub-dimensions. This was followed by physical abuse (6.6%), neglect (1.8%), economic abuse (1.5%), and sexual abuse (1.5%). According to H-S/EAST, 22.9% of participants experience abuse. The perpetrators of abuse are mostly spouses, children and relatives of the elderly. There is a negative correlation between the H-S/EAST score and the SWLS score. Uneducated elderly people are exposed to abuse more than primary education graduates. Compared to the elderly living in a nuclear family, more abuse is seen in extended families and those living alone.

CONCLUSION

The fact that the houses in which the elderly live are not physically suitable increases the risk of abuse. Identifying and trying to minimise local risk factors for elder abuse can help reduce the prevalence of abuse. We hope that these data will be a guide for future intervention studies.

Social Work Response to Elder Abuse in Uganda: Voices from Practitioners

Social workers across the globe are at the forefront of tackling elder abuse, as they are committed to social justice, human rights, and respect for human diversity. However, research on social workers' response to elder abuse in Sub-Saharan Africa remains scarce. This qualitative study assessed how social workers in Uganda have responded to elder abuse. In-depth semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from 21 social workers. The findings suggest that social work in Uganda has not asserted itself in the fight against elder abuse. The few social work interventions aimed at reducing the risk of elder abuse are mostly anti-poverty undertakings. Social workers mainly discussed the drivers of elder abuse, correlating them with their interventions, and challenges such as the absence of a specific law for older people, ignorance of older people's rights, and the underreporting of elder abuse. This study found that advocacy is needed for specific laws that protect the rights of older people, along with public awareness campaigns and the establishment of a research center for aging and later life.

Development, validation, and pilot implementation of the minimum datasheet for a domestic violence registry system: The case of a developing country

Background

Domestic violence (DV) is a universal issue and an important public health priority. Establishing a DV Registry System (DVRS) can help to systematically integrate data from several sources and provide valid and reliable information on the scope and severity of harms. The main objective of this study was to develop, validate, and pilot-test a minimum datasheet for a DVRS to register DV victims in medical facilities.

Materials and methods

This study was conducted in two main phases. Phase one includes developing the datasheet for registration of DV in the DVRS. In phase two, the datasheet designed in the previous step was used in a pilot implementation of the DVRS for 12 months to find practical challenges. The preliminary datasheet was first developed using information on similar registry programs and guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and then reviewed by four expert panels. Through a two-round Delphi technique, experts evaluated the instrument using the Content Validity Index (CVI) and Content Validity Ratio (CVR). The consistency of the responses was evaluated by test-retest analysis. Finally, two physicians in two forensic medical clinics registered the victims of physical and/or sexual violence perpetrated by a family member.

Results

Preliminary datasheet consisted of 31 items. In the first round of Delphi, fifteen items had good content validity (I-CVI and CVR) and were kept, and seven items were moved to the next round. Also, in the first round of Delphi, experts suggested adding three items, including history of the violence, custody of the child, and custody of the elderly. All items evaluated in the second round were kept due to good CVR and CVI scores. As a result of Test-retest correlation coefficients for self-reprted items, two items including perpetrator’s alcohol and drug use status were excluded (r(30) = +.43, and +.38, p< .01, two-tailed, respectively). Finally, 24 items were included in the datasheet including 15 items for individuals’ characteristics (victims’ characteristics and perpetrators’ characteristics), eight items for incidents’ characteristics, and one item for past history of violence experience. A total of 369 cases were registered from September 23, 2019, to July 21, 2020. The majority of the reported cases were female (82%) and were 19–40 years old. No physical and/or sexual violence was reported from rural areas, which calls upon researchers to explore how services for detecting and treating the victims can be made accessible to these areas.

Conclusion

DVRS can show trends in DV by age, sex, the context of the violence, and incidence characteristics at every point in time. This is particularly valuable in planning and prioritizing research areas and interventions for DV prevention. Additionally, DVRS can be linked to other disease registry programs which can contribute to continuity and coordination of care, and major research in the future. Although a DVRS can be a promising initiative in identifying the areas in need of urgent interventions, there is no guarantee for its proper implementation due to limited resources and other challenges.

A Study on Supply-Demand Satisfaction of Community-Based Senior Care Combined with the Psychological Perception of the Elderly

Based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory and customer satisfaction theory, we constructed a satisfaction model for supply–demand satisfaction for community-based senior care (SSCSC) combined with the psychological perspective of the elderly, and four dimensions of basic living needs (BLNs), living environment (LE), personal traits (PTs), and livability for the aged (LA) were selected to construct the model. The data were obtained from 296 questionnaires from seniors over 50 years old (or completed by relatives on their behalf, according to their actual situation). Twenty-two observed variables were selected for the five latent variables, and their interactions were explored using structural equation modeling. The results showed that LA was the most significant factor influencing SSCSC, and it was followed by BLNs and LE. PTs did not show a direct effect on LA, but they could have an indirect effect on SSCSC through influencing BLNs and LE. Based on the current state of community aging satisfaction, we propose to establish a community elderly care service system based on the basic needs of the elderly population, providing differentiated and refined elderly care services and improving the level of aging-friendly communities. This study provides references for the government to formulate relevant policies and other supply entities to make strategic decisions and has important implications for further enhancing community elderly services to become an important part of the social security system for the elderly.

Quality of Life in Elders with Suspected Alzheimer Disease: An Urban Health Centers-Based Study from Iran

Background/Aims

Quality of life (QOL) and Alzheimer disease (AD) among older people have been recognized as public health challenges. Here, we investigated the association between QOL and AD in the elders.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, elderly people were selected from urban health centers (Shiraz, Iran) by multistage cluster random sampling and were interviewed using LEIPAD (for QOL) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (for AD) questionnaires. The data was analyzed using Mplus (version 6.12) and IBM SPSS (version 25) software.

Results

The participants consisted of 182 elderly with a mean age of 67 ± 5.05 years, and 95 (52.2%) of them were females. There were 161 (88.5%) and 130 (71.4%) cases educated up to 12 years and married, respectively. Furthermore, 46 (25.3%) had low-to-moderate QOL, and 132 (72.5%) were suspected to have AD. QOL was inversely associated with AD, and men (β = -0.310) were more affected than women (β = -0.290). AD (β = -0.298), age (β = -0.288), hypertension (β = -0.267), education (β = 0.260), and body mass index (β = -0.198) were determinants of QOL. Also, physical activity was indirectly associated with QOL (β = 0.076). AD was correlated with the cognitive functioning component of QOL (r = -0.72).

Conclusion

One elder out of 4, did not have desirable QOL and 3 elders out of 4 were suspected to have AD. AD can decrease QOL among the older people. Screening of the elders for AD is recommended to improve their QOL by health centers.