title: Quantifying the problem of abuse and neglect in adults--analysis of a statewide database.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mistreatment of adults, including abuse, neglect, and exploitation, affects more than 1.8 million older Americans. Presently, there is a lack of precise estimates of the magnitude of the problem and the variability in risk for different types of mistreatment depending on such factors as age and gender.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the universe of case reports received during one year in a centralized computer database maintained by the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services--Adult Protective Services Division (TDPRS-APS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive.
  
  
  METHODS
  Texas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mistreated or neglected older people.
  
  
  METHODS
  The distribution of abuse types reported and population prevalence estimates of each abuse type by age and sex.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were over 62,000 allegations of adult mistreatment and neglect filed in Texas in 1997. Neglect accounted for 80% of the allegations. The incidence of being reported to the TDPRS-APS increased sharply after age 65. The prevalence was 1,310 individuals/100,000 > or = 65 years of age for all abuse types.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The TDPRS database is an excellent tool for characterizing and tracking cases of reported elder mistreatment. Achieving a clearer understanding of this ever-increasing public health problem can aid in the development of better interventions and prevention strategies.
authors.affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine, TX, USA.
authors.forename: V N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Pavlik
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hyman
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Festa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bitondo Dyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology