Gender as Individual Risk Factor for Elderly Abuse: Findings from First National Prevalence Study in Macedonia

BACKGROUND:  National prevalence study of elderly abuse in Macedonia intended to explore prevalence and risk factors of elder abuse and neglect.  This paper is focused on influence of the gender as individual risk factor, according to ecological model, on elderly abuse and neglect.METHODS: Culturally validated questionnaire and Geriatric Depression scale was used for data collection. Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) test, was used for sample selection. Cutting score was 20. The research was conducted through face-to-face interviews on the sample of 960 respondents aged 65 and over.RESULTS:  Evidenced were 32% abused and neglected from representative sample, living in private households, 19% of abused was female. In Macedonian study women are 1.6 times often victims of abuse than man. Only female respondents reported sexual abuse.CONCLUSION: Being female is risk factor for being exposed on any type of abuse and neglect, excluding financial abuse

Mental Health, Physical Health and Other Individual Risk Factors for Elder Maltreatment: Findings from the National Study

OBJECTIVES: The first Macedonian National Prevalence study of elder maltreatment in private settings was conducted in 2011 and 2012. This article provides an overview of the risk factors on individual level regarding the ecological model of human development.METHOD: The study involved 960 respondents who provided answers to a face-to-face survey questionnaire and a Geriatric Depression Scale.  The Mini-Mental State Examination test was used as a pre selection criterion. The achieved sample was weighted to be representative on the Macedonian population aged 65 and over.  RESULTS: Being women, being married, with elementary school education, suffering from certain chronic diseases, sensory impairment, are potential risk factors on individual level for elderly Maltreatment.CONCLUSION: The findings support the previous quantitative data obtained in other countries, as well as the concept of ecological framework

Relationships and Community Risk Factors for Elder Abuse and Neglect: Findings from the First National Prevalence Study on Elder Maltreatment

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to mesaure the 12-months prevalence of elder abuse and neglect in private huousehold and to examine the relationship and community level risk factors for elder abuse and neglect.METHOD: Total of 960 respondents aged 65 years and above in private households, from all eight statistical regions participated in the study.  Nationally stratified quota sampling procedure was applied, through four stages. Information was collected in face-to face interview on socio-demographic, healthy life style, physical and mental health, and abuse and neglect types characteristics of elder population. Data were examined using descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression, and odd ratios (OR). Statistical significance was set up at p < 0.05.RESULTS: The respondents reported prevalence of psychological abuse 25.7%, followed by financial abuse 12 %, neglect 6.6%, physical abuse 5.7%, physical injury 3.1%, and sexual abuse 1.3% (reported only in female respondents) in the previous 12-months. Living with close relatives, dissatisfaction with the household income, less equipped households, lacking property of house/flat are associated risk factors for elder maltreatment on relationship level. Living in the northeast, southeast, and Polog region are associated risk for elder maltreatment.CONCLUSION: Study findings emphasised the previous data obtained with regards to the community and relationships risk factors for elder maltreatment

Prevalence of Elder Abuse and Neglect: Findings from First Macedonian Study

OBJECTIVES: One of the study objectives was to explore the prevalence of elder abuse and neglect in the country.METHOD: Total of 960 respondents aged 65 years and above (44.7% of male and 55.3%) in private households, from all eight statistical regions participated in the study. Respondents were sampled through three staged national representative sampling procedure. Data were collected using a cognitively validated questionnaire for investigating elder abuse and neglect (psychological abuse, physical abuse, physical injury; financial abuse; sexual abuse and neglect) and Geriatric Depression Scale. The MMSE test was used as a pre-selection method. Statistical significance was set up at p < 0.05.RESULTS: Three hundred seven (32.0%) respondents reported experience of any type of abuse and neglect.  A single form of abuse was reported by 56.4% of participants, and two types of abuse by 27.4% of participants reporting abuse. Data showed that psychological abuse was the most prevalent form of abuse (25.7%), followed by financial abuse (12.0%), physical abuse (5.7%), physical injury (3.1%) and sexual abuse, and reported only by females (1.3%). Some type of neglect was reported by 6.5% of respondents.CONCLUSIONS: Defining the phenomenon of elder abuse and neglect in the context of our country can facilitate support of abused older people and, most importantly, may help develop policy and programmes based on evidence-based practices, targeting prevention and response

Social mindfulness predicts concern for nature and immigrants across 36 nations

People cooperate every day in ways that range from largescale contributions that mitigate climate change to simple actions such as leaving another individual with choice – known as social mindfulness. It is not yet clear whether and how these complex and more simple forms of cooperation relate. Prior work has found that countries with individuals who made more socially mindful choices were linked to a higher country environmental performance – a proxy for complex cooperation. Here we replicated this initial finding in 41 samples around the world, demonstrating the robustness of the association between social mindfulness and environmental performance, and substantially built on it to show this relationship extended to a wide range of complex cooperative indices, tied closely to many current societal issues. We found that greater social mindfulness expressed by an individual was related to living in countries with more social capital, more community participation and reduced prejudice towards immigrants. Our findings speak to the symbiotic relationship between simple and more complex forms of cooperation in societies

Moral expansiveness around the world:The role of societal factors across 36 countries

International audienceWhat are the things that we think matter morally, and how do societal factors influence this? To date, research has explored several individual-level and historical factors that influence the size of our ‘moral circles.' There has, however, been less attention focused on which societal factors play a role. We present the first multi-national exploration of moral expansiveness—that is, the size of people’s moral circles across countries. We found low generalized trust, greater perceptions of a breakdown in the social fabric of society, and greater perceived economic inequality were associated with smaller moral circles. Generalized trust also helped explain the effects of perceived inequality on lower levels of moral inclusiveness. Other inequality indicators (i.e., Gini coefficients) were, however, unrelated to moral expansiveness. These findings suggest that societal factors, especially those associated with generalized trust, may influence the size of our moral circles

Social mindfulness predicts concern for nature and immigrants across 36 nations

People cooperate every day in ways that range from largescale contributions that mitigate climate change to simple actions such as leaving another individual with choice - known as social mindfulness. It is not yet clear whether and how these complex and more simple forms of cooperation relate. Prior work has found that countries with individuals who made more socially mindful choices were linked to a higher country environmental performance - a proxy for complex cooperation. Here we replicated this initial finding in 41 samples around the world, demonstrating the robustness of the association between social mindfulness and environmental performance, and substantially built on it to show this relationship extended to a wide range of complex cooperative indices, tied closely to many current societal issues. We found that greater social mindfulness expressed by an individual was related to living in countries with more social capital, more community participation and reduced prejudice towards immigrants. Our findings speak to the symbiotic relationship between simple and more complex forms of cooperation in societies

Moral expansiveness around the world: The role of societal factors across 36 countries

What are the things that we think matter morally, and how do societal factors influence this? To date, research has explored several individual-level and historical factors that influence the size of our ‘moral circles’. There has, however, been less attention focused on which societal factors play a role. We present the first multi-national exploration of moral expansiveness – that is the size of people’s moral circles across countries. We found low generalized trust, greater perceptions of a breakdown in the social fabric of society, and greater perceived economic inequality were associated with smaller moral circles. Generalized trust also helped explain the effects of perceived inequality on lower levels of moral inclusiveness. Other inequality indicators (i.e., Gini coefficients) were, however, unrelated to moral expansiveness. These findings suggest societal factors, especially those associated with generalized trust, may influence the size of our moral circles

Moral expansiveness across cultures: The role of societal factors across 39 countries

International audienceWhat are the things that we think matter morally, and how do societal factors influence this? To date, research has explored several individual-level and historical factors that influence the size of our ‘moral circles.' There has, however, been less attention focused on which societal factors play a role. We present the first multi-national exploration of moral expansiveness—that is, the size of people’s moral circles across countries. We found low generalized trust, greater perceptions of a breakdown in the social fabric of society, and greater perceived economic inequality were associated with smaller moral circles. Generalized trust also helped explain the effects of perceived inequality on lower levels of moral inclusiveness. Other inequality indicators (i.e., Gini coefficients) were, however, unrelated to moral expansiveness. These findings suggest that societal factors, especially those associated with generalized trust, may influence the size of our moral circles