title: Older people's perceptions of the term elder abuse and characteristics associated with a lower level of awareness.
abstract: A national representative survey of 2,021 community-dwelling older people was carried out in 2010 using face-to-face interviews. The study examined how the term "elder abuse" was understood by this population and identified factors associated with lower levels of awareness. Over 80% of this population recognized the term elder abuse, and 56% demonstrated specific insight related to typologies, locations, and perpetrators of abuse. Less specific responses were given by 22% of participants, and a further 21% could not give a reply. Less specific or "don't know" responses were independently associated with age 80 years or older, a lower level of education, impaired physical health, and living in economically deprived communities. Despite ongoing public information campaigns, there remained a significant portion of older people who may be unaware of or have limited insight into elder abuse. This study suggests a need for more targeted education campaigns aimed at specific higher-risk groups.
authors: a Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery , Kings College London , London , United Kingdom.
authors: Corina
authors: C
authors: Naughton
authors: Jonathan
authors: J
authors: Drennan
authors: Attracta
authors: A
authors: Lafferty
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000145:classification* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016901:Intergenerational Relations; D008297:Male; D012931:Social Environment; D012938:Social Perception; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000145:classification* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Ireland; awareness; elder abuse; public information campaigns; risk factors