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Sanus

Online version ISSN 2448-6094

Sanus  vol. 10
https://doi.org/10.36789/sanusrevenf..vi21.522

Investigación

Elderly abuse in the municipality of Chilcuautla, Hidalgo, Mexico

Maus-tratos a idosos no município de Chilcuautla, Hidalgo, México

Article Indicators
Pedraza Martínez, Yoselin1
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2704-6821
López Nolasco, Benjamín2*
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4566-214X
Maya Sánchez, Ariana3
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6479-2524
Cano Estrada, Edith Araceli4
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8315-1087
Author affiliation
×
  • 1Licenciado en Enfermería. Escuela Superior de Tlahuelilpan, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo. México.
  • 2Doctor en Ciencias de Enfermería. Escuela Superior de Tlahuelilpan, Universidad del Estado de Hidalgo. México.
  • 3Maestra en Ciencias de Enfermería. Escuela Superior de Tlahuelilpan, Universidad del Estado de Hidalgo. México.
  • 4Doctora en Ciencias Bioquímicas. Escuela Superior de Tlahuelilpan, Universidad del Estado de Hidalgo. México.
Author notes
*Autor para correspondencia: benjamín_lopez8496@uaeh.edu.mx
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Este es un artículo publicado en acceso abierto bajo una licencia Creative Commons

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Abstract

Introduction:

The percentage of older adults aged 60 years and older has increased significantly both globally and nationally. However, this increase has led to an increase in mistreatment, and it is crucial to understand how this impacts quality of life.

Objective:

To determine elder abuse in the municipality of Chilcuautla, Hidalgo.

Methodology:

Quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study. This study was carried out on 301 older adults through non-probabilistic sampling, who were residents of the municipality, were aware of the abuse and were affected by any type of abuse, excluding those who for any reason dropped out of the study. A questionnaire with sociodemographic data and the Geriatric Scale of Elderly Abuse was used; after informed consent, the Declaration of Helsinki and the General Health Law on Research were followed. Data were analyzed using frequencies and percentages.

Results:

53.2% were women and 46.8% were men. The prevalence of abuse was 44.2% in older adults for at least one type of abuse. The types of abuse were psychological, 21.3 %, physical, 8.6 %, financial, 6.3 %, neglect, 6.3 %, and sexual, 1.7 %.

Conclusion:

This study determined that abuse did indeed occur among older adults in the municipality of Chilcuautla. It is believed that it could serve as a basis for future research in diverse populations and regions, and could even help nursing staff implement individualized care interventions for each individual.

Key words::
Elderly, Elderly abuse, Quality of life (DeCS)

Introduction

The aging process is the last life cycle in which the human being goes through, in which changes arise, both physical, cognitive and psychosocial 1-3, these are involved by genetic, environmental and psychological factors 4,5. All of the above has been changing over time due to the increase in life expectancy. Currently it has been lower than in previous decades 6-8, since according to the World Health Organization (WHO), it was estimated that between 2020 and 2030 the percentage of older adults aged 60 years and over would increase by 34 % 9, while the Basic Statistics of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) in the State of Hidalgo refer that there are 250,715 older adults (OA), of which 46 % were men and 53 % were women. The average life expectancy for men is 72 years and for women 77 years of age 10.

Abuse is a global and national problem, as it has had a great impact on communities and vulnerable populations, as in the case of OA 11,12. At this stage, the OA is characterized as the most at risk because they are treated as nuisances or uncomfortable presences in society 12. According to WHO 13, OA abuse is an act or transgression to the integrity of an adult and/or helpless person that either has occurred only once or is repeated systematically, whether committed by a caregiver or another related or trusted person in the life of the affected person, who harms or causes suffering and helplessness against the elderly person. Abuse has serious consequences on the health and well-being of older adults; these abuse can be physical, verbal, psychological/emotional, sexual, and financial 14.

Abuse can take place in the family, in specialized or residential services and facilities, in health care institutions, in transportation and on the street 15. Many older adults are abused, usually by a caregiver. Although the figures on OA abuse do not reflect the reality, because most of the abused older adults do not report it 16. The reasons for this vary. It may be because they do not accept that they are being abused, they are afraid of retaliation, or because they believe it will be temporary. It may also mean that they want to protect their abuser or do not know which authority to turn to, but their physical or cognitive condition does not prevent them from filing a complaint 16,17.

In recent years the problem has increased, since one out of every six older adults worldwide suffers many types of abuse; according to WHO, in Mexico it was estimated that between 8.1 % and 18.6 % of older adults suffer some type of abuse 18.

In 2024, according to data from the National Institution of Hidalgo, 80.5 % of older adults claimed to be subject to mistreatment, generally due to the dispossession of their material goods (homes or property) by family members 19-21. This research conducted in the OA in the municipality of Chilcuautla, Hidalgo, Mexico, is a first approach to this problem, given that there is no scientific evidence to indicate whether in this region OAs are abused. For this reason, the research question was: Is there abuse in the OA in the municipality of Chilcuautla? The answer to this could be a basis for future research on this variable and in the future develop nursing interventions focused on improving quality of life in this group.

Methodology

A quantitative study, with a descriptive and cross-sectional approach 22,23. A non-probabilistic convenience sampling was performed, obtaining a sample of 301 MA 24,25. Inclusion criteria were considered to be: OAs of both genders, residents of the municipality, with knowledge of abuse and affected by any type of abuse; those OAs who for any reason dropped out of the study were excluded.

A sociodemographic questionnaire was applied to obtain information on age, gender, marital status, schooling, occupation, and financial support from the government; subsequently, the Geriatric Scale of Elderly Abuse was applied, which consists of 22 items that are categorized into physical, psychological, neglect, financial, and sexual abuse, with responses that are valued differently, of which scores of 0 or ≥1 can be assigned. The overall range can vary between 0= no abuse and ≥1= general abuse. It has a Cronbach's alpha reliability of 0.83 in the Mexican population 20,26,27, it should be noted that for this study the reliability of the instrument was 0.72 with Cronbach's alpha, which is acceptable.

Data collection was carried out with prior authorization from the Town Mayor for the application of the questionnaire, with the approval of the ethics committee of the Escuela Superior with registration number 2021-I-XVIII-4. And was also based on the Declaration of Helsinki at the international level and the General Health Law on research 28,29 at the national level. The nursing professionals went to the homes considering the ease of access and availability of the OAs. During January to June 2022, they were invited to participate by means of verbal invitation, and, if they accepted, they signed the informed consent form. The questionnaire was completed in approximately 20 minutes.

Data analysis was performed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24, obtaining frequencies and percentages for the sociodemographic variables and abuse 30.

Results

The study was made up of 53.2 % of women. The age variable was found ranging from 60 to 69 years, amounting to 45.9 %. The predominant marital status of OAs was common-law marriage in 40.9 % of the cases; elementary school studies were the most common, amounting to 81.4 %; housewife was the most frequent occupation amounting to 48.5 % and, finally, 76.4 % reported that they receive financial support from the government, (Table 1).

Table 1
Sociodemographic characteristics of older adults in the municipality of Chilcuautla, 2022 (n=301)
Variables f %
Age 60 - 69 138 45.9
70 - 79 107 35.7
80 - 89 55 18.2
90 - 99 1 .3
Gender Male 141 46.8
Female 160 53.2
Marital status Single 15 5.0
Married 111 36.9
Divorced 3 1.0
Widower/Widow 49 16.3
Common-law marriage 123 40.9
Schooling Illiterate 49 16.3
Elementary school 245 81.4
Secondary school 7 2.3
Occupation Housewife 146 48.5
Employee 6 2.0
Retired 5 1.7
Merchant 7 2.3
Laborer 9 3.0
Peasant 117 38.9
None 11 3.7
Financial support Yes 230 76.4
(Government) No 71 23.6
Source: Own-development

The results obtained from the application of the Geriatric Scale of OAs abuse showed that among OA in the municipality of Chilcuautla, 44.2 % presented at least one type of abuse, as follows: psychological, 21.6 %; physical, 8.6 %; financial, 6.3 %; neglect, 6.3 %; and sexual, 1.7 %; however, 55.8 % reported not having experienced any type of abuse, (Table 2).

Table 2
Results of the Geriatric Scale of Elderly Abuse in the municipality of Chilcuautla, 2022 (n=301)
Variable Shows abuse
No Yes
      F (%)  F (%)
Psychological 59 (19.6) 64 (21.3)
Financial 33 (11) 19 (6.3)
Physical 41 (13.6) 26 (8.6)
Neglect 27 (9) 19 (6.3)
Sexual 8 (2.6) 5 (1.7)
Source: Own-development

Discussion

Based on the objective of determining abuse in the OA of the municipality of Chilcuautla, it was determined that abuse in the OAs did occur. However, it should be noted that the highest percentage of abused OAs were women in the age range of 60 to 69 years, who showed at least one type of abuse. However, although psychological and physical abuse predominated, there were lower rates of financial, neglect and sexual abuse. These results matched other studies that reported lower results, but in any case, it must be emphasized that women in this age group are those who face the greatest abuse. This may be due to the fact that they present diverse health, financial, social and emotional needs. This situation becomes more evident when the dependence of the OA on the aggressor is greater, or when the victim is in a situation of greater vulnerability. In addition, limitations arise that involve the validity of the OA and prevent them from relating adequately with their environment 31-33.

A previous study pointed out that the variability in the prevalence of abuse found in different studies may be due to geographical differences and the impact of quality of life over the years 34,35. However, understanding elder abuse is of utmost importance because it provides a snapshot of the quality of life associated with various factors, affecting not only lifespan but also life expectancy. The results obtained in this study serve as a basis for future research in diverse populations and regions, and could even help nursing personnel to implement individualized care interventions for each of the OAs.

Conclusions

After analyzing this research, the older adults who participated in the municipality of Chilcuautla reported at least one type of abuse. These types of abuse included psychological, physical, financial, neglect and sexual, with the most affected group being the females in the 60 and 69 age range, who lived in a free union, had primary education and were dedicated to the home. This problem can vary according to the level of quality of life, as well as the region in which the study is carried out and the life expectancy that the person maintains.

Today, awareness of elder abuse is of great importance in society, as it determines their full life expectancy, which will also help them achieve a good quality of life. It is recommended that this study serve as a basis for further research or studies related to abuse in OA. It could be applied to OAs from other populations and regions, to see the similarities or contrasts between them. It is proposed to implement interventions to improve the quality of life of OAs in the municipality of Chilcuautla.

Conflict of Interest

The authors stated that there was no conflict of interest.

Financing

The authors stated that there was no funding of any kind.

Artificial Intelligence

The authors stated that they have not used any type of artificial intelligence resources in any of the sections of this manuscript.

Referencias bibliográficas

Elderly abuse in the municipality of Chilcuautla, Hidalgo, Mexico
  • Sanus  vol. 10Elderly abuse in the municipality of Chilcuautla, Hidalgo, Mexico 0000-0002-2704-6821 Pedraza Martínez Yoselin 1 0000-0003-4566-214X López Nolasco Benjamín 2 * 0000-0002-6479-2524 Maya Sánchez Ariana 3 0000-0002-8315-1087 Cano Estrada Edith Araceli 4 Author affiliationPermissions
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