Citation

Guedes DT, Alvarado BE, Phillips SP, Curcio CL, Zunzunegui MV, Guerra RO. Arch. Gerontol. Geriatr. 2015; 60(3): 492-500.

Affiliation

Departamento de Fisioterapia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Av. Senador Salgado Filho, Lagoa Nova, 59078-970 Natal, RN, Brazil.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.archger.2015.01.010

PMID

25704920

Abstract

PURPOSE: To determine whether gender, socioeconomic conditions, and/or social relations are related to recent experiences of DV in older adult populations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data on socioeconomic status and social relations were collected in 2012 from 1995 community-dwelling older adults in Canada, Colombia, Brazil, and Albania. Violence experienced in the last 6 months was measured using the Hurt, Insulted, Threatened with harm, or Screamed at (HITS) scale and classified according to type (physical or psychological) and perpetrator (partner or family member). Binary logistic regression analyses were used to assess associations between experiences of violence and gender, socioeconomic conditions, and social relations.

RESULTS: Physical violence (by partner or family member) was reported by 0.63-0.85% of participants; the prevalence of psychological violence (by partner or family member) ranged from 3.2% to 23.5% in men and 9% to 26% in women. After adjustment for socioeconomic status, social relations, age and site, women experienced more psychological violence perpetrated by family members than did men (odds ratio (OR): 1.8; 95% CI: 1.2-2.6). Social relations, such as multifamily living arrangements and low levels of support from partners, children, and family, were associated with psychological DV. Current working status was associated with greater odds of victimization by partners among men (OR: 2.35 95% CI: 1.34-1.41), but not among women.

CONCLUSIONS: Gender and social relations are important determinants of experiencing violence in older adults. The findings of this study demonstrate the importance of a gender-based approach to the study of DV in older adults.

Language: en