Characterization and Prevalence of Elder Abuse in Brazil.

We aimed to assess the prevalence and characterize the profile of elder abuse in Brazil in this quantitative descriptive and exploratory study using a document analysis of cases of elder abuse against people aged 60 and over reported to Brazil's Notifiable Disease Information System (Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação-SINAN) from 2009 to 2013. Association between age groups (older adults and non-older adults) and (a) characteristics of the victims (gender, age, and race), (b) characteristics of the violence (type of violence, place of occurrence, and repeated violence) and, (c) characteristics of the perpetrator (gender, suspected alcohol consumption, and victim-perpetrator relationship) were assessed using the chi-square test and odds ratios (OR) with a 95% confidence interval. Statistical significance was set at p< .05. Elder abuse accounted for 5.7% of all cases of violence, with a higher prevalence among women (54.3%). Older men and older white people were more likely to suffer violence compared with their non-older peers (OR=1.75 and OR=1.47, respectively). Financial abuse (OR=5.95), violence resulting from legal intervention (OR=1.24), repeated violence (OR=1.22), and torture (OR=1.08) were at higher chances of occurring among older adults. In all, 30.3% of the cases of elder abuse were perpetrated by their children and 22% of the perpetrators were suspected to have consumed alcohol. Older adults were 30 times more likely to be abused by their children and eight times by caregivers and presented 2.37 more chances of evolving to death due to violence and 1.8 more chances to suffer violence in the household. The cases of elder abuse reported to SINAN highlight the greater fragility of this population group. In addition to reporting this public health problem, governmental and non-governmental actions are necessary to provide older adults with a healthy aging and ensure their rights, dignity, and autonomy.

Impacto psicossocial do isolamento durante pandemia de covid-19 na população brasileira: análise transversal preliminar / Psychosocial impact of COVID-19 self-isolation on the Brazilian population: a preliminary cross-sectional analysis

Resumo Este artigo trata de uma pesquisa quantitativa, descritiva e analítica da população brasileira em isolamento social (IS) durante pandemia do novo coronavírus, com o objetivo de identificar preditores de estresse psicossocial com dados recolhidos por questionário on-line nas redes sociais em abril de 2020. Do total de 3.836 pessoas participantes, prevaleceram: mulheres (2.821; 73,5%); faixa etária de 30 a 39 anos (1.101; 28,7%); com pós-graduação (2075;54,1%); estando em IS (3.447; 89,9%). Houve diferença significativa pelo fato de as pessoas estarem em IS: sentir medo de serem infectadas pelo coronavírus (p<0,001); preocupação se alguém precisava sair de casa (p<0,001); rotina modificada após o IS, destacando "entretanto conseguiram se adaptar à nova realidade", comparado aos que "tiveram a rotina alterada sem conseguir se adaptar" (p<0,001); tristeza ou preocupação, fazendo outras atividades como exercício físico, práticas religiosas, atividades lúdicas (p<0,001); e não pensaram numa solução para esse problema (p<0,001); além de mudança no padrão de sono (p=0,006). Os achados revelam a necessidade de discussão ampliada dos determinantes sociais da saúde, que devem envolver não só a doença, mas levar em consideração as relações sociais, as manifestações culturais e a economia, que podem impactar a saúde mental das pessoas.

Abstract This is a quantitative, descriptive, and analytical study of the Brazilian population in social isolation (SI) during the novel coronavirus pandemic whose aim was to identify predictive factors for psychosocial stress using data collected by a social media-based online questionnaire administered in April 2020. Among the 3,836 participants, most were women (2,821; 73.5%), aged from 30 to 39 years (1,101; 28.7%), with post-graduate education (2,075;54.1%), and in SI (3,447; 89.9%). We found significant differences between individuals who were in SI and those who were not regarding: feeling afraid of being infected by the coronavirus (p<0.001) and worried if someone had to leave the house (p<0.001); changes in routine after self-isolating in those who managed to adapt to the new reality compared to those who could not adapt (p<0.001); feeling sad and worried while doing other activities, such as physical exercise, religious practices, or recreational activities (p<0.001); inability to imagine a solution to this problem (p<0.001), and changes in sleep pattern (p=0.006). Our findings indicate the need for further discussions about the social determinants of health, addressing not only the disease per se, but also social relations, cultural manifestations, and the economy, which may impact people's mental health.

Subjective well-being and oral discomfort in older people.

ABSTRACTBackground:The study aims to assess the relationship between oral discomfort and subjective well-being (SWB) in older people. METHODS: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted in four Reference Centers for Social Welfare in Fortaleza, Northeastern Brazil. A census was held and individual interviews were carried out with all the older people (n = 246) enrolled in the centers. A questionnaire addressing sociodemographic data (age, gender, marital status, income, and education) and oral discomfort (dry mouth, difficulty in chewing and swallowing food, problems with the taste of food, burning mouth sensation, pain for no apparent reason, and mouth swelling) and the 62-item SWB scale were used. RESULTS: Participants were 246 people aged 60-89 years (mean of 69 ± 6.9 years). The majority were women (n = 199; 80.9%), had incomplete primary education (n = 161; 65.4%), had an income of up to one minimum wage (n = 182; 74%), were retired (n = 169; 68.7%), were white (n = 100; 40.7%), and had no partner (n = 177; 72%). The mean SWB score (subscale 1) was associated with age (p = 0.010), gender (p = 0.019), health in the previous year (p = 0.027), systemic diseases (p = 0.007), speech problems (p = 0.016), vision problems (p = 0.006), number of teeth (p = 0.010), and dry mouth (p = 0.044). SWB (subscale 2) was associated with gender (p = 0.029), skin color (p = 0.023), general health (p < 0.001), health in the previous year (p < 0.001), systemic diseases (p = 0.001), drinking (p = 0.022), soft tissue problems (p = 0.001), and pain for no apparent reason (p = 0.025). CONCLUSION: The relationship between oral discomfort and SWB reveals that older people's poor oral health leads to physical, psychological, and/or social problems that directly interfere with their well-being.