A Scoping Review and Meta-Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence in Older Adults: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Health...

Intimate partner violence (IPV) in older adults has been overlooked in both studies of IPV and elder abuse. The former focuses on IPV among younger or middle-aged adults, while the latter emphasizes violence against older adults regardless of the perpetrator. We undertook a scoping review and meta-analysis to facilitate understanding of the prevalence rates of IPV in older adults, risk factors, and health outcomes. A comprehensive literature search identified 37 studies published before August 2025. While the overall quality of the studies is generally high, there is significant variability in how IPV is assessed regarding age cutoffs, time frames, and measurement instruments. Regarding past-year IPV, the pooled prevalence rate for any form of IPV among older adults is 10.6%; for lifetime IPV, the pooled prevalence rate is 15.1% in community samples. Psychological IPV was identified as the most common form of late-life IPV. Experiencing or witnessing victimization during childhood (OR = 1.902, 95% CI [1.176, 3.076], p < .01) was significantly associated with IPV in older adults, and the odds ratio is larger than that of the other victim-related factors (OR = 1.476, [1.29, 1.688], p < .001). Perpetrator-related, relationship, community, and sociocultural factors were also explored. IPV in older adults was associated with increased health problems, elder abuse victimization, and medication use. These findings highlight the importance of adopting a life-course perspective in both research and intervention strategies aimed at preventing IPV in older adults. Future research is warranted to adopt a standardized definition of IPV in late life and explore its broader consequences.