Prevalence and Gender Differences of Elder Abuse among Community-dwelling Older Adults in Tabriz, Iran

Elder abuse is a phenomenon that has become more apparent with the increase in aging population, but there are insufficient evidences about the prevalence of elder abuse and gender differences in this area. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the prevalence of elder abuse and its gender differences among community-dwelling older adults in Tabriz, Iran.

In this cross-sectional study, 414 older adults aged ≥60 years were recruited from health complexes and centers in Tabriz, Iran in 2018 by using random sampling method. Data collection tools were a demographic form and the Domestic Elder Abuse Questionnaire which were completed through interview. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS V. 22 software.

 It was reported that 52.6% had experienced abuse by family members. Emotional neglect was the most common type of elder abuse (26.6%) followed by financial abuse (17.6%). Physical abuse was the least common type of elder abuse. Except for financial abuse, older women had experienced more abuse than older men. Of those who were abused, only 31.7% recognized it as elder abuse.

 Most of older adults experience emotional neglect and financial abuse from family members and perceive them as their normal behaviors. Older women experience more abuse than older men. It is necessary to prevent elder abuse and familiarize older adults with different types of elder abuse.