Cross-sectional study of the characteristics of reported elder self-neglect in a community-dwelling population: findings from a population-based cohort.
BACKGROUND
Elder self-neglect is an important public health issue. However, little is known about the characteristics of self-neglect and its association with social factors among community-dwelling populations.


OBJECTIVE
(1) To examine the sociodemographic, health-related and psychosocial characteristics of reported elder self-neglect; (2) to examine the association of social network and social engagement with reported self-neglect.


METHODS
Population-based study conducted from 1993 to 2005 of community-dwelling subjects (n = 9,056) participating in the Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP). Subsets of the CHAP subjects (n = 1,812) were identified for suspected self-neglect by the social services agency, which also assessed the severity. This reported group was compared with the unreported group in the CHAP across the sociodemographic, health-related and psychosocial variables. Logistical regressions were used to assess the association of social factors and self-neglect.


RESULTS
Older age, women, African-Americans, and those with lower education or lower income were more likely to be reported for self-neglect. Those reported for self-neglect were more likely to have lower levels of cognitive and physical function, nutritional status, psychosocial function and a higher number of medical comorbidities. After adjusting for confounders, lower levels of social network and social engagement were significantly associated with an increased risk of reported self-neglect. Among the reported cases of self-neglect, the study found increased trends of older age, women, African-American, lower income, lower cognitive and physical function, lower social engagement and a higher number of chronic medical conditions with self-neglect severity.


CONCLUSIONS
Reported self-neglect elders have multiple sociodemographic, health- related and psychosocial characteristics that are different than elders not reported. Lower levels of social network and social engagement were associated with increased risk of self-neglect.
Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Ill., USA. xinqi_dong@rush.edu
Xin-Qi
XQ
Dong
Melissa
M
Simon
Denis
D
Evans
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D008297:Male; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012648:Self Care; D012919:Social Behavior; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors