A Community-Based Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study of Elder Abuse Perpetration or Victimization Among Elders in Ethiopia, 2022

Asrat Wolde; Wadu Wolancho; Yeshitila Belay; Asamirew Alemu; Ashenaf Asefa; Tsehaye Gebremedhin

doi:10.2147/CIA.S360548

A Community-Based Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study of Elder Abuse Perpetration or Victimization Among Elders in Ethiopia, 2022

Clin Interv Aging. 2022 Jun 15:17:957-969. doi: 10.2147/CIA.S360548. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Asrat Wolde¹, Wadu Wolancho², Yeshitila Belay², Asamirew Alemu³, Ashenaf Asefa³, Tsehaye Gebremedhin³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, Mizan Tepi University, Mizan Aman, South West Regional State, Ethiopia.
² Department of Nursing, Jimma University, Jimma, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia.
³ Department of Nursing, Mizan-Tepi University, Mizan Aman, South West Regional State, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Background: Elderly abuse and comorbid problematic substance use, disability, and physical and mental illness have been major problems in low-income countries. In most countries, the elderly are the most neglected segment of the population, and there is insufficient information about elderly abuse perpetration or victimization in low-income countries like Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess elderly abuse perpetration or victimization among the elderly in Mizan Aman town, southwest Ethiopia.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 268 elderly people from May to June, 2021, by using a systematic sampling technique. The elderly abuse and the ASSIST tools were used to assess the elderly abuse and khat, alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco use disorders, respectively. Moreover, multimorbidity and physical disability were also assessed. Data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and exported to the Statistical Package for Social Science Version 23. A logistic regression model was used to identify independent predictors of elderly abuse.

Results: The prevalence of elder abuse was 41.8%, and the prevalence of poly substance, alcohol, khat, and tobacco use disorder was 32.5%, 19.4%, 12%, and 4.5%, respectively. Besides, the comorbidity of physical disability and multiple chronic diseases was 8% and 24.6%, respectively. Moreover, physical disability (AOR = 5.652, CI = 1.459, 21.894), multimorbidity (AOR = 3.972, CI = 1.898, 8.314), substance use disorder (AOR = 3.877, CI = 1.814, 8.286), age above 80 years (AOR = 8.452, CI = 2.273, 31.425), and poor social support (AOR = 3.372, CI = 1.043, 10.903) were positively associated with elderly abuse.

Conclusion: The magnitude of elder abuse and comorbid multimorbidity, physical disability, and substance use disorder was high, and having multiple chronic diseases, physical disability, substance use disorder, advanced age, and poor social support were risk factors for elderly abuse.

Keywords: Ethiopia; elderly abuse; khat use disorder; multimorbidity; perpetration; physical disability; victimization.

MeSH terms

Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Chronic Disease
Crime Victims*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Elder Abuse*
Ethiopia / epidemiology
Humans
Prevalence
Risk Factors
Substance-Related Disorders* / epidemiology

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Jimma University Institute of Health. The funding body had no role in the design of the study, data collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, or in writing the manuscript.