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The Lancet. Global Health Feb 2017Elder abuse is recognised worldwide as a serious problem, yet quantitative syntheses of prevalence studies are rare. We aimed to quantify and understand prevalence... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Elder abuse is recognised worldwide as a serious problem, yet quantitative syntheses of prevalence studies are rare. We aimed to quantify and understand prevalence variation at the global and regional levels.
METHODS
For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched 14 databases, including PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, EMBASE, and MEDLINE, using a comprehensive search strategy to identify elder abuse prevalence studies in the community published from inception to June 26, 2015. Studies reporting estimates of past-year abuse prevalence in adults aged 60 years or older were included in the analyses. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were used to explore heterogeneity, with study quality assessed with the risk of bias tool. The study protocol has been registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42015029197.
FINDINGS
Of the 38 544 studies initially identified, 52 were eligible for inclusion. These studies were geographically diverse (28 countries). The pooled prevalence rate for overall elder abuse was 15·7% (95% CI 12·8-19·3). The pooled prevalence estimate was 11·6% (8·1-16·3) for psychological abuse, 6·8% (5·0-9·2) for financial abuse, 4·2% (2·1-8·1) for neglect, 2·6% (1·6-4·4) for physical abuse, and 0·9% (0·6-1·4) for sexual abuse. Meta-analysis of studies that included overall abuse revealed heterogeneity. Significant associations were found between overall prevalence estimates and sample size, income classification, and method of data collection, but not with gender.
INTERPRETATION
Although robust prevalence studies are sparse in low-income and middle-income countries, elder abuse seems to affect one in six older adults worldwide, which is roughly 141 million people. Nonetheless, elder abuse is a neglected global public health priority, especially compared with other types of violence.
FUNDING
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the WHO Department of Ageing and Life Course.
Topics: Aged; Elder Abuse; Female; Global Health; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Prevalence
PubMed: 28104184
DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(17)30006-2 -
Journal of the American Geriatrics... Jun 2015This article is based on the lecture for the 2014 American Geriatrics Society Outstanding Scientific Achievement for Clinical Investigation Award. Elder abuse is a... (Review)
Review
This article is based on the lecture for the 2014 American Geriatrics Society Outstanding Scientific Achievement for Clinical Investigation Award. Elder abuse is a global public health and human rights problem. Evidence suggests that elder abuse is prevalent, predictable, costly, and sometimes fatal. This review will highlight the global epidemiology of elder abuse in terms of its prevalence, risk factors, and consequences in community populations. The global literature in PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, BIOSIS, Science Direct, and Cochrane Central was searched. Search terms included elder abuse, elder mistreatment, elder maltreatment, prevalence, incidence, risk factors, protective factors, outcomes, and consequences. Studies that existed only as abstracts, case series, or case reports or recruited individuals younger than 60; qualitative studies; and non-English publications were excluded. Tables and figures were created to highlight the findings: the most-detailed analyses to date of the prevalence of elder abuse according to continent, risk and protective factors, graphic presentation of odds ratios and confidence intervals for major risk factors, consequences, and practical suggestions for health professionals in addressing elder abuse. Elder abuse is common in community-dwelling older adults, especially minority older adults. This review identifies important knowledge gaps, such as a lack of consistency in definitions of elder abuse; insufficient research with regard to screening; and etiological, intervention, and prevention research. Concerted efforts from researchers, community organizations, healthcare and legal professionals, social service providers, and policy-makers should be promoted to address the global problem of elder abuse.
Topics: Aged; Elder Abuse; Female; Humans; Male; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Social Work; Socioeconomic Factors
PubMed: 26096395
DOI: 10.1111/jgs.13454 -
European Journal of Public Health Feb 2019A recent study has shown that close to one in six older adults have experienced elder abuse in a community setting in the past year. It is thought that abuse in... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
A recent study has shown that close to one in six older adults have experienced elder abuse in a community setting in the past year. It is thought that abuse in institutions is just as prevalent. Few systematic evidence of the scale of the problem exists in elder care facilities. The aim of this review is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the problem in institutional settings and to provide estimates of the prevalence of elder abuse in the past 12 months.
METHODS
Fourteen academic databases and other online platforms were systematically searched for studies on elder abuse. Additionally, 26 experts in the field were consulted to identify further studies. All studies were screened for inclusion criteria by two independent reviewers. Data were extracted, and meta-analysis was conducted. Self-reported data from older residents and staff were considered separately.
RESULTS
Nine studies met the inclusion criteria from an initial of 55 studies identified for review. Overall abuse estimates, based on staff reports, suggest that 64.2% of staff admitted to elder abuse in the past year. There were insufficient studies to calculate an overall prevalence estimate based on self-reported data from older residents. Prevalence estimates for abuse subtypes reported by older residents were highest for psychological abuse (33.4%), followed by physical (14.1%), financial (13.8%), neglect (11.6%), and sexual abuse (1.9%).
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of elder abuse in institutions is high. Global action to improve surveillance and monitoring of institutional elder abuse is vital to inform policy action to prevent elder abuse.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Elder Abuse; Female; Homes for the Aged; Humans; Male; Nursing Homes; Prevalence
PubMed: 29878101
DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/cky093 -
Gerontology 2013Elder abuse and psychological distress are both important geriatric syndromes and are independently associated with premature morbidity and mortality. Despite recent... (Review)
Review
Elder abuse and psychological distress are both important geriatric syndromes and are independently associated with premature morbidity and mortality. Despite recent advances, there has been little systematic exploration of the association between elder abuse and psychological distress. This systematic review synthesizes the qualitative and quantitative studies on the relationship between elder abuse and psychological distress, namely psychological distress as a risk factor and/or a consequence of elder abuse. Moreover, through this review, future research directions for elder abuse and psychological distress and their implications for practice and policy to improve the health and aging of vulnerable populations are also highlighted.
Topics: Aged; China; Depression; Elder Abuse; Geriatric Assessment; Humans; Risk Factors; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 22922225
DOI: 10.1159/000341652 -
European Geriatric Medicine Feb 2022Elder abuse is a worldwide problem with serious consequences for individuals and society. The recognition of elder abuse is complex due to a lack of awareness and... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Elder abuse is a worldwide problem with serious consequences for individuals and society. The recognition of elder abuse is complex due to a lack of awareness and knowledge. In this systematic review, types, characteristics and anatomic location of physical signs in elder abuse were identified.
METHODS
Databases of MEDLINE, COCHRANE, EMBASE and CINAHL were searched. The publication dates ranged from March 2005 to July 2020. In addition to the electronic searches, the reference lists and citing of included articles were hand-searched to identify additional relevant studies. The quality of descriptive and mixed-methods studies was assessed.
RESULTS
The most commonly described physical signs in elder abuse were bruises. The characteristics of physical signs can be categorized into size, shape and distribution. Physical signs were anatomically predominantly located on the head, face/maxillofacial area (including eyes, ears and dental area), neck, upper extremities and torso (especially posterior). Physical signs related to sexual elder abuse were mostly located in the genital and perianal area and often accompanied by a significant amount of injury to non-genital parts of the body, especially the area of the head, arms and medial aspect of the thigh.
CONCLUSIONS
Most common types, characteristics and anatomic location of physical signs in elder abuse were identified. To enhance (early) detection of physical signs in elder abuse, it is necessary to invest in (more) in-depth education and to include expertise from a forensic physician or forensic nurse in multidisciplinary team consultations.
Topics: Aged; Contusions; Elder Abuse; Head; Humans; Neck; Torso
PubMed: 34514555
DOI: 10.1007/s41999-021-00550-z -
Frontiers in Psychology 2021As a global public health concern, elder abuse negatively affects health, psychosocial wellbeing, and mortality among elders. Research and practice efforts made to...
As a global public health concern, elder abuse negatively affects health, psychosocial wellbeing, and mortality among elders. Research and practice efforts made to explore effective prevention and intervention strategies are growing. Despite the growing number of intervention studies on elder abuse, research synthesis on the empirical literature seems lacking. This study aims to identify the pooled effect size of prevention and interventions targeted ultimate and intermediate outcomes for elder abuse that occurred in community settings. Following the Cochrane guideline, our team searched across eight electronic databases and manually searched reference lists of eligible studies and existing systematic reviews for all potentially eligible studies. A random-effects model of 51 effect size estimates reported an overall positive and statistically significant treatment effect of psychosocial interventions for elder abuse, = 0.63, < 0.05. The overall treatment effect was approaching statistical significance at 0.1 level for ultimate outcomes, = 0.32, = 0.09, and intermediate outcomes, = 0.75, = 0.1. An overall significant effect size was found among family-based interventions, = 0.59, < 0.05, and interventions targeting older adults and their caregivers, = 0.45, < 0.05. Existing evidence supports an overall significant effect for psychosocial interventions for elder abuse. Interventions that used a family-based model, combined education and supportive services, and targeted both caregivers and elders, showed significant effect size, suggesting such features being considered in elder abuse intervention design. Future intervention research is needed to shed light on the link between intervention activities and ultimate change in elder abuse behaviors.
PubMed: 34122275
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.679541 -
Journal of Medical Ethics and History... 2019Elder abuse is an increasingly intangible phenomenon that has created numerous ethical issues for care teams and caregivers. Although different studies have concentrated... (Review)
Review
Elder abuse is an increasingly intangible phenomenon that has created numerous ethical issues for care teams and caregivers. Although different studies have concentrated on various ethical issues regarding abuse, no study has arrived at a comprehensive conclusion. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the existing ethical challenges in this context. For this purpose, two researchers familiar with systematic search approach examined national and international journals on PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), Scientific Information Database (SID) and similar databases between January and February 2017. They were able to find 116 articles that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and finally selected 15 articles based on the predesigned questions. The findings were classified in five subtitles as follow: 1) the common definition of elder abuse, 2) a comprehensive legislation on elder abuse, 3) comprehensive ethical principles about elder abuse, 4) ethical considerations regarding patients without competency, and 5) reporting and sharing information about elder abuse. The study results revealed no common definition and no legislation about elder abuse, and also showed that health care providers' observance of ethical principles depends on the ethical and legal conditions of the community. Nowadays, elder abuse is a serious problem in many countries. Cultural and religious differences are the reasons for lack of a common definition and legislations, which comprises the biggest obstacle to protecting the rights of elderly people. It is clear that ethical principles should be respected as far as a person has competency. Furthermore, localization of clinical guidelines related to this issue leads to proper functioning of health care providers, especially nurses as the first line of treatment.
PubMed: 31346400
DOI: No ID Found -
Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect Oct 2011The purpose of this research was to provide a systematic review of, and assign an evidence grade to, the research articles on elder abuse. Sixteen health care and... (Review)
Review
The purpose of this research was to provide a systematic review of, and assign an evidence grade to, the research articles on elder abuse. Sixteen health care and criminal justice literature databases were searched. Publications were reviewed by at least two independent readers who graded each from A (evidence of well-designed meta-analysis) to D (evidence from expert opinion or multiple case reports) on the quality of the evidence gained from the research. Of 6,676 titles identified in the search, 1,700 publications met inclusion criteria; omitting duplicates, 590 publications were annotated and graded.
Topics: Aged; Biomedical Research; Elder Abuse; Geriatric Assessment; Humans
PubMed: 21978292
DOI: 10.1080/08946566.2011.608048 -
Revista Da Escola de Enfermagem Da U S P 2021To identify the interventions proposed in the literature aimed at preventing elder abuse among community-residing elders.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the interventions proposed in the literature aimed at preventing elder abuse among community-residing elders.
METHOD
This was a mixed-methods systematic review that followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols checklist. The protocol of this systematic review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews. We included studies published between January 2004 and December 2019 in the databases: LILACS, IBECS, CUMED, CINAHL, MEDLINE and SciELO. The methodological quality of each study included was performed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.
RESULTS
Seven studies formed the final sample. Two groups emerged after the analyses: the primary level intervention group, which used health education and coexisting elder abuse groups; and the secondary intervention level, focused mostly on the mental health care of victims of elder abuse.
CONCLUSION
There is still a shortage of intervention studies to prevent elder abuse. All the studies selected had a positive outcome, and all interventions can be implemented in nursing care practice.
Topics: Aged; Humans; Elder Abuse
PubMed: 33886908
DOI: 10.1590/S1980-220X2019033203677 -
Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect Jul 2011Health professionals often lack adequate protocols or knowledge to detect, manage, and prevent elder maltreatment. This systematic review describes and evaluates... (Review)
Review
Health professionals often lack adequate protocols or knowledge to detect, manage, and prevent elder maltreatment. This systematic review describes and evaluates existing literature on the effectiveness of educational interventions to improve health professionals' recognition and reporting of elder abuse and neglect. Fourteen articles described 22 programs ranging from brief didactics to experiential learning and targeted a variety of health and social service audiences. Most evaluations were limited to satisfaction measures. These programs may result in increased awareness, collaboration, and improved case finding. However, using the published literature to guide new program planning is constrained by lack of details and limited evaluations.
Topics: Aged; Elder Abuse; Health Personnel; Humans; Program Development
PubMed: 27119527
DOI: 10.1080/08946566.2011.584046