13 Aug Definition of Elder Mistreatment May Vary by Ethnicity

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
XinQi Dong MD, MPH
Henry Rutgers Distinguished Professor of Population Health Sciences
Director of the Director of Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, NJ 08901 

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? 

Response: This study was done among community-dwelling US Chinese older adults aged 60 and above living in the greater Chicago area. The baseline cohort consisted of 3,157 participants, and we followed up with them from 2011 to 2017. There were heterogeneities in the associations between the strictness of definitions and subtypes of elder mistreatment (EM) and yearly mortality.  

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: The association between elder mistreatment and mortality varied according to operational definitions and subtypes of EM. Researchers should be aware of the definitions of elder mistreatment when comparing findings from different studies on EM and mortality. The association between elder mistreatment and mortality also varied according to yearly mortality.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?

Response: First, future research could explore the mechanism through which elder mistreatment may lead to mortality.

Second, future research is suggested to investigate elder mistreatment and mortality in men and women or in different ethnic groups to have a comprehensive understanding on this issue.

Third, future research might explore the optimal time of intervention for EM victims given the subtypes and severity of EM.

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Response: We tracked this cohort for 4 years. Whether the associations between elder mistreatment and mortality change after 5 years is unclear. EM may have been underreported in the study sample, which would bias the relationship between EM and mortality.

We have no conflicts of interest to disclose.  

Citations:

Different Definitions of Elder Mistreatment and Mortality: A Prospective Cohort Study From 2011 to 2017

Mengting Li PhD, Ying Liang PhD, XinQi Dong MD, MPH

First published: 12 August 2019

Last Modified: [last-modified]

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Last Updated on August 15, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD