Elder abuse prevalence and risk factors: findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Elder abuse (EA) is a pervasive problem with serious consequences. Previous population-based EA risk factor research has largely used cross-sectional designs that limit causal inferences, or agency records to identify victims, which threatens external validity. Based on a national, prospective, population-based cohort sample of older adults (n = 23,468) over a 3-year period from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, the current study sought to estimate the prevalence of EA and identify risk and protective factors. Past-year prevalence of any EA was 10.0%. Older adults with greater vulnerability related to physical, cognitive and mental health, childhood maltreatment and shared living were at higher EA risk, while social support was protective against EA. Older adults identifying as Black or reporting financial need were at heightened EA risk. This longitudinal, population-based study advances our understanding of EA risk/protective factors across several domains and informs the development of EA prevention strategies.

publication date

  • September 23, 2022

Research

keywords

  • Elder Abuse

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC10154033

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0026092635

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13

PubMed ID

  • 37118505

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 2

issue

  • 9