The Prevalence of Various Abuse Types and Their Associated Factors in the Elderly

Background: Elder abuse is a significant public health problem overlooked by communities. The current study investigated various abuse types prevalence and their associated factors among the elderly.  Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 2014. Research palpation compromised elderly covered by health hygiene centers in Kashan City, Iran. The study sample included 500 elderly individuals. We applied quota sampling with randomization for sample selection. The quota sampling size differed according to the number and gender of the subjects. Demographic data questionnaire and Heravi-Karimooi Elderly Abuse Questionnaire. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS. Descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Chi-squared test, and Logistic Regression analysis were used for data analysis. The significance level was set at P<0.05.  Results: The study participants’ mean±SD age was 72.07±9.03 years. The obtained prevalence rates were as follows: emotional neglect: 29.8%, neglect of care: 35.6%, financial neglect: 37.8%, authority: 41.2%, experienced psychological abuse: 45%, financial abuse: 45.6%, physical abuse: 22.2%, and rejection: 16.6%. There were significant correlations between abuse and age (P=0.001), the number of children (P=0.001), marital status (P=0.01), the living conditions (P=0.001), having diseases (P=0.029), and having the ability to walk (P=0.001).  Conclusion: The study findings are crucial in developing a national system for protecting the elderly. Furthermore, a continuing education plan is required for enforcing communication between caregivers and elders.