Cross-Sectional Study of the Characteristics of Reported Elder Self-Neglect in a Community-Dwelling Population: Findings from a Population-Based Cohort

• Published in: Gerontology (Basel) Vol. 56; no. 3; pp. 325 - 334
• Main Authors: Dong, Xin-Qi, Simon, Melissa, Evans, Denis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland Karger 01.01.2010; S. Karger AG
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Adult abuse & neglect; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Behavioural Science Section; Biological and medical sciences; Cohort Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Development. Metamorphosis. Moult. Ageing; Elder Abuse - diagnosis; Elder Abuse - psychology; Elder Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gerontology; Health Behavior; Health Status; Humans; Hygiene; Male; Older people; Residence Characteristics; Self Care; Social Behavior; Social interaction; Social networks; Social psychology; Socioeconomic Factors; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Self-neglect; Population-based study; Aging; Social network; Cross-sectional study; Elderly; Social engagement; Human; Elderly abuse; Senescence; Ageing; Victimology; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Cross sectional study
• ISSN: 0304-324X; 1423-0003; 1423-0003
• DOI: 10.1159/000243164

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. Objectives: (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. Conclusion: 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.