Loneliness in older chinese adults: a risk factor for elder mistreatment.
OBJECTIVE
To examine loneliness as a risk factor for elder mistreatment in an urban, community-dwelling Chinese population.


METHODS
Cross-sectional descriptive study.


METHODS
Major urban medical center in NanJing, China.


METHODS
Four hundred twelve subjects aged 60 and older who presented to the general medical clinic. The mean age of the participants was 70, and 34% were female. Mean education level was 8.5 years of schooling.


METHODS
Loneliness was assessed using validated instruments, and direct questions were asked regarding mistreatment experienced by older adults.


RESULTS
Elder mistreatment was found in 35.2% of the participants. After adjusting for confounding factors, feeling of often lacking companionship (odds ratio (OR)=4.06; 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.49-11.10) and feeling of sometimes being left out in life (OR=1.69; 95% CI=1.01-2.84) were positively associated with the risk of mistreatment. Risk of mistreatment was also correlated with higher total loneliness scores (OR=2.74; 95% CI=1.19-6.26).


CONCLUSIONS
Loneliness appeared to be a risk factor associated with elder mistreatment in this older Chinese population. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm this finding. An exploration of Chinese culture and tradition may yield insight into shaping a prevention framework for mistreatment of older Chinese people.
Dong
Xinqi
X
Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Geriatric Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA. xinqi_dong@rush.edu
Simon
Melissa A
MA
Gorbien
Martin
M
Percak
Jeffrey
J
Golden
Robyn
R
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic