Document Type : Letter to the Editor (Policy Brief)
Authors
Iranian Research Center on Healthy Aging, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran.
Abstract
Elder abuse is a major public health and social challenge, with important implications for the health, safety, autonomy, and quality of life of older women. Older women may face greater vulnerability to abuse because of intersecting demographic, economic, social, and cultural factors, including longer life expectancy, widowhood, economic dependency, caregiving responsibilities, and gender-related social norms. Importantly, a recent analytical cross-sectional study conducted in 2023 among 400 adults aged 60 and older attending urban health centers in Golestan Province (IR.MEDSAB.REC.1400.122), Iran, provides a clear gender-specific rationale for this policy focus. The study found that 61.8% of participants had experienced at least one form of elder abuse, and multivariable analysis showed that women had a 1.84-fold higher likelihood of reporting elder abuse than men. These findings highlight the need to address elder abuse not only as a general issue of healthy ageing but also as a gender-responsive health and social policy priority. Accordingly, this policy brief integrates national and international evidence to propose practical measures specifically relevant to the health, protection, and empowerment of older women, including gender-sensitive screening in primary health care, economic empowerment, promotion of mental health and self-esteem, caregiver support, insurance coverage for counseling services, workforce training, legal protection, and culturally tailored programs.
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