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Abuse and neglect of older persons in seven cities in seven countries in Europe: a cross-sectional community study

International Journal of Public Health volume 58, pages 121–132 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Objectives

We aimed to investigate the prevalence rate of abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial, neglect) of older persons (AO) in seven cities from seven countries in Europe (Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, Sweden), and to assess factors potentially associated with AO.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2009 (n = 4,467, aged 60–84). Potentially associated factors were grouped into domains (domain 1: age, gender, migration history; domain 2: education, occupation; domain 3: marital status, living situation; domain 4: habitation, income, financial strain). We calculated odds ratios (OR) with their respective 95 % confidence intervals (CI).

Results

Psychological AO was the most common form of AO, ranging from 10.4 % (95 % CI 8.1–13.0) in Italy to 29.7 % (95 % CI 26.2–33.5) in Sweden. Second most common form was financial AO, ranging from 1.8 % (95 % CI 0.9–3.2) in Sweden to 7.8 % (95 % CI 5.8–10.1) in Portugal. Less common was physical AO, ranging from 1.0 % (95 % CI 0.4–2.1) in Italy to 4.0 % (95 % CI 2.6–5.8 %) in Sweden. Sexual AO was least common, ranging from 0.3 (95 % CI 0.0–1.1) in Italy and Spain to 1.5 % (95 % CI 0.7–2.8) in Greece. Being from Germany (AOR 3.25, 95 % CI 2.34–4.51), Sweden (OR 3.16, 95 % CI 2.28–4.39) or Lithuania (AOR 2.45, 95 % CI 1.75–3.43) was associated with increased prevalence rates of AO.

Conclusion

Country of residence of older people is independent from the four assessed domains associated with AO. Life course perspectives on AO are highly needed to get better insight, and to develop and implement prevention strategies targeted at decreasing prevalence rates of AO.

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Conflict of interest

This study was funded and supported by the Executive Agency for Health and Consumers (EAHC) and participating institutions.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Protestant University of Applied Sciences Ludwigsburg, Ludwigsburg, Germany

    Jutta Lindert

  2. Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    Jutta Lindert

  3. Department of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain

    Juan de Luna

  4. Centro de Investigación Biomedica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), University of Granada, Granada, Spain

    Francisco Torres-Gonzales

  5. Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Porto Medical School, Porto, Portugal

    Henrique Barros

  6. Department of Sociology, National School of Public Health, Athens, Greece

    Elisabeth Ioannidi-Kopolou

  7. Italian National Institute of Health and Science on Aging, INRCA, Ancona, Italy

    Maria Gabriella Melchiorre

  8. School of Public Health, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia

    Mindaugas Stankunas

  9. Department of Health Management, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Mindaugas Stankunas

  10. Institution for Health Sciences, Department of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, Sundsvall, Sweden

    Gloria Macassa & Joaquim F. J. Soares

  11. Division of Social Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

    Joaquim F. J. Soares

Authors
  1. Jutta Lindert
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  2. Juan de Luna
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  3. Francisco Torres-Gonzales
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  4. Henrique Barros
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  5. Elisabeth Ioannidi-Kopolou
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  6. Maria Gabriella Melchiorre
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  7. Mindaugas Stankunas
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  8. Gloria Macassa
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  9. Joaquim F. J. Soares
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Correspondence to Jutta Lindert.

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Lindert, J., de Luna, J., Torres-Gonzales, F. et al. Abuse and neglect of older persons in seven cities in seven countries in Europe: a cross-sectional community study. Int J Public Health 58, 121–132 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-012-0388-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-012-0388-3

Keywords

  • Abuse
  • Older individuals
  • Context
  • Life course