Prevalence and Correlates of Elder Abuse in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of elder abuse and to investigate potential sociodemographic, health behavior, and medical correlates.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional data were collected in face-to-face assessments.

SETTING: São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

PARTICIPANTS: Individuals aged 60 to 75.

MEASUREMENTS: Information on elder abuse was obtained using the Brazil-adapted, nine-item Hwalek-Sengstock Elder Abuse Screening Test. Sampling design-adjusted descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used in analyses.

RESULTS: The overall prevalence of abuse was 14.4% (n = 46/259, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 9.82-20.61) in São Paulo and 13.3% (n = 27/197, 95% CI = 8.76-19.74) in Rio de Janeiro. Unadjusted analyses indicated that poor education, low physical activity, unemployment, heart disease, and psychiatric problems were associated with abuse, but in adjusted analyses, self-reported elder abuse was significantly associated only with psychiatric problems (São Paulo: OR = 4.48, 95% CI = 1.75-11.45; Rio de Janeiro: OR = 21.61, 95% CI = 6.39-73.14).

CONCLUSION: Elder abuse is prevalent in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, but whether concomitants of abuse are cause, effect, or both is unclear because this was a cross-sectional study. These findings highlight the importance of the problem, as well as the need to develop measures to increase awareness, facilitate prevention, and fight against abuse of elderly adults.