Associação entre os aspectos sociodemográficos e de saúde com o risco de abuso e violência em pessoas idosas assistidas pela Atenção Primária à Saúde

Abstract

The exponential increase in the elderly population raises global and public health concerns about elder abuse and violence. Understanding this issue, recognized as a global public health problem due to its growing prevalence and recurrence, is crucial for developing preventive actions. This study aimed to analyze the association between sociodemographic and health aspects and the risk of abuse and violence against community-dwelling older adults. This is an observational, cross-sectional, and quantitative study conducted with 200 older adults assisted by Primary Health Care in the municipality of Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, from April to July 2022. Data collection employed the following instruments: sociodemographic and health characterization, the Lawton and Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) Scale, the Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS), the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), and the Hwalek-Sengstock Elder Abuse Screening Test (H-S/EAST) to analyze the risk of violence. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the State University of Western Paraná, under opinion no. 4.662.293/2021. Participants provided written informed consent before data collection. The findings of this study, while not confirming the significance of this phenomenon, indicate a trend in the profile of sociodemographic and health aspects associated with the risk of abuse and violence. The main results showed that older adults aged 60 to 70 years with no risk of violence were predominantly literate, independent, non-depressed, and non-frail. Conversely, older adults over 70 years of age with no risk of violence were mostly literate, dependent, non-depressed, and non-frail. Elder abuse and violence constitute a public health issue that demands coordinated efforts by health managers to implement new public policy strategies aimed at promoting and protecting this vulnerable population group.