title: Self-reported verbal abuse in 1300+ older women within a private, tertiary women's health clinic.
abstract: Several studies describe "elder abuse" among residents of nursing homes, but this issue is less well studied among independently functioning, community-based women. The current study was undertaken to report rates of self-reported intimate partner violence - with a focus on verbal abuse - among older women within a private tertiary women's health clinic.
  
  
  
  This study focused on women who completed a questionnaire on domestic abuse.
  
  
  
  A total of 1389 women with a median age of 55 years (range: 50, 90) are the focus of this report. Most 1102 (79%) were married. Within this group, 100 (7%) women reported verbal abuse within the last year. Rates of physical and sexual abuse were much lower with 9 women (1%) and 2 (<1%), respectively. In univariate analyses, being divorced, being an alcoholic, and having suffered prior abuse were associated with reported verbal abuse. In multivariate analyses, self-reported alcoholism and physical abuse were independently associated with reported verbal abuse.
  
  
  
  This study found a notable rate of patient-reported verbal abuse in older women within a private, tertiary women's health clinic.
  
  
  
  This observation should prompt healthcare providers to ask about intimate partner violence - and specifically verbal abuse - regardless of healthcare setting.
authors.affiliation: The Division of General Internal Medicine, Women's Health Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.
authors.forename: Richa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sood
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Novotny
authors.affiliation: The Division of General Internal Medicine, Women's Health Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.
authors.forename: Stephanie S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Faubion
authors.affiliation: The Division of General Internal Medicine, Women's Health Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.
authors.forename: Jacqueline M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Thielen
authors.affiliation: The Division of General Internal Medicine, Women's Health Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.
authors.forename: Lynne T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Shuster
authors.affiliation: The Division of General Internal Medicine, Women's Health Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.
authors.forename: Carol L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Kuhle
authors.affiliation: The Division of General Internal Medicine, Women's Health Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.
authors.forename: Ekta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kapoor
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marnach
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barrette
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States. Electronic address: jatoi.aminah@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Aminah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jatoi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D057566:Self Report; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D016387:Women's Health
keywords: Intimate partner violence; Older; Verbal abuse; Women