Fear of crime and psychological and physical abuse associated with ill health in a Swedish population aged 65-84 years

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the association between fear of crime and/or psychological and/or physical abuse in relation to self-reported physical and psychological health, using a large representative sample of elderly women and men in Sweden.

Study design: Cross-sectional national survey.

Methods: Data were taken from a nationwide representative public health survey (2006). Men and women between the ages of 65 and 84 years were selected for the present analyses (4386 men and 4974 women). The response rate for this age group was 59% for men and 70% for women.

Results: Psychological and physical abuse against elderly women and men led to higher odds ratios for negative health outcomes, independently of socio-economic status. Strong correlation was found between psychological abuse and negative health outcomes in both men and women, while the correlation was less strong for physical abuse, especially among women. The men had high odds ratios for suicidal thoughts and even for attempted suicide in connection with physical and psychological abuse and fear of crime.

Conclusions: The study provides representative results addressing an extensive negative health outcome panorama caused by fear of crime and exposure to abuse.