Correlates of Elder Abuse in São Paulo, Brazil: The Roles of Age, Depression, and Religion

Elder abuse (EA) is a major public health concern worldwide, yet population-based data from low- and middle-incomecountries remain limited. This study was conducted to investigate the association factors of abuse among olderindividuals. We analyzed data from a population-based study of 1,224 community-dwelling adults aged 60 years orolder from the 2015 wave of the SABE (Health, Well-Being and Aging) Study in São Paulo, Brazil. Participants werecategorized into two groups: abused and not abused, based on responses to a validated questionnaire addressingpsychological, physical, and fi nancial abuse. With weighted analysis, the Rao-Scott test was applied to understandthe characteristics of the elderly population. Subsequently, multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted toidentify associations between elder abuse and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. The EA prevalence was11.8% overall (8.9% in men and 14.1% in women). In adjusted models, EA was inversely associated with age-olderparticipants were less likely to report abuse-and positively associated with depressive symptoms and Evangelicalreligious affi liation. No signifi cant diff erence was found between sexes. These fi ndings suggest that bothpsychological vulnerability and social context infl uence the risk of EA among urban older adults. Integrating mentalhealth screening and culturally sensitive strategies, including collaboration with religious communities, maystrengthen prevention and early detection eff orts in aging populations.