Characterization and Prevalence of Elder Abuse in Brazil

Abstract

We aimed to assess the prevalence and characterize the profile of elder abuse in Brazil in this quantitative descriptive and exploratory study using a document analysis of cases of elder abuse against people aged 60 and over reported to Brazil’s Notifiable Disease Information System ( Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação—SINAN) from 2009 to 2013. Association between age groups (older adults and non-older adults) and (a) characteristics of the victims (gender, age, and race), (b) characteristics of the violence (type of violence, place of occurrence, and repeated violence) and, (c) characteristics of the perpetrator (gender, suspected alcohol consumption, and victim-perpetrator relationship) were assessed using the chi-square test and odds ratios (OR) with a 95% confidence interval. Statistical significance was set at p< .05. Elder abuse accounted for 5.7% of all cases of violence, with a higher prevalence among women (54.3%). Older men and older white people were more likely to suffer violence compared with their non-older peers (OR=1.75 and OR=1.47, respectively). Financial abuse (OR=5.95), violence resulting from legal intervention (OR=1.24), repeated violence (OR=1.22), and torture (OR=1.08) were at higher chances of occurring among older adults. In all, 30.3% of the cases of elder abuse were perpetrated by their children and 22% of the perpetrators were suspected to have consumed alcohol. Older adults were 30 times more likely to be abused by their children and eight times by caregivers and presented 2.37 more chances of evolving to death due to violence and 1.8 more chances to suffer violence in the household. The cases of elder abuse reported to SINAN highlight the greater fragility of this population group. In addition to reporting this public health problem, governmental and non-governmental actions are necessary to provide older adults with a healthy aging and ensure their rights, dignity, and autonomy.