Prevalence and Incidence of Intimate Partner and Interpersonal Mistreatment in Older Women in Primary Care Offices

• NCJ Number: 218502
• Journal: Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect Volume: 18 Issue: 1 Dated: 2006 Pages: 83-105
• Author(s): Therese Zink M.D.; Bonnie S. Fisher Ph.D.
• Date Published: 2006
• Length: 23 pages
• Grant Number(s): R605H23525
• Sponsoring Agency: Ohio Attorney General's Office
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study explored the prevalence and incidence of different types of intimate partner and interpersonal mistreatment among older women as well as their mistreatment experiences in ambulatory primary care offices.

Abstract

The findings indicated that 45.2 percent of participants reported suffering most frequently from psychological/emotional mistreatment since the age of 55 years. Another 2.5 percent of participants experienced physical mistreatment by an interpersonal perpetrator while 1.6 percent experienced physical mistreatment by an intimate partner. Intimate partners sexually mistreated 2.1 percent of participants while interpersonal perpetrators sexually mistreated 0.8 percent of the female participants aged 55 or older. Children were the most common perpetrators of controlling behaviors, threats, physical, and caregiver mistreatment. In terms of their response to the mistreatment, only 54 percent of physically mistreated women reported the abuse to anyone and 41 percent and 32 percent, respectively, told someone about their caregiver or sexual mistreatment. The findings suggest that screening women concerning possible mistreatment should be an integral component of primary health care services, and professionals should be trained about how to assist older victims. Participants were 995 women randomly chosen through the patient lists of females 55 years or older provided by adult primary care officers affiliated with an academic center in the Midwest. Participants completed a survey that elicited information about mental health status, health conditions, and the five domains of elder mistreatment: psychological/emotional, financial/control, physical, sexual, and caregiver. Participants reporting abuse were asked more probing questions regarding the abuse, the perpetrator, and their response to the abuse. Data were analyzed using SPSS 11.5 software and included descriptive statistics and tests of significance such as chi-square and t-tests. Limitations of the study are discussed and include its reliance on self-reported data. Tables, notes, references, appendix