Mortality among elder abuse victims in rural Malaysia: A two-year population-based descriptive study

• Published in: Journal of elder abuse & neglect 2017-01, Vol.29 (1), p.59-71
• Main Authors: Yunus, Raudah Mohd, Hairi, Noran Naqiah, Choo, Wan Yuen, Hairi, Farizah Mohd, Sooryanarayana, Rajini, Ahmad, Sharifah Nor, Abdul Razak, Inayah, Peramalah, Devi, Abdul Aziz, Suriyati, Mohammad, Zaiton Lal, Mohamad, Rosmala, Mohd Ali, Zainudin, Bulgiba, Awang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abuse outcome; Adult abuse & neglect; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Death & dying; descriptive study; Domestic violence; effects of elder abuse; Elder Abuse - economics; Elder Abuse - mortality; Elder Abuse - psychology; elder mistreatment; Emotional abuse; exploratory; family violence; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Mortality; Mortality rates; Older people; Prospective Studies; Rural areas; Rural Population; Victims
• ISSN: 0894-6566; 1540-4129
• DOI: 10.1080/08946566.2016.1260083

Our study aims at describing mortality among reported elder abuse experiences in rural Malaysia. This is a population-based cohort study with a multistage cluster sampling method. Older adults in Kuala Pilah (n = 1,927) were interviewed from November 2013 to May 2014. Mortality was traced after 2 years using the National Registration Department database. Overall, 139 (7.2%) respondents died. Fifteen (9.6%) abuse victims died compared to 124 (7.0%) not abused. Mortality was highest with financial abuse (13%), followed by psychological abuse (10.8%). There was a dose-response relationship between mortality and clustering of abuse: 7%, 7.7%, and 14.0% for no abuse, one type, and two types or more, respectively. Among abuse victims, 40% of deaths had ill-defined causes, 33% were respiratory-related, and 27% had cardiovascular and metabolic origin. Results suggest a link between abuse and mortality. Death proportions varied according to abuse subtypes and gender.