The study has shortcomings, including that abuse could be underreported due to cultural reasons. Further, certain indicators, like children’s characteristics, were not included in the model. The children’s education was difficult to assess. When there are several children, one would need to decide whose education level should be considered in the analysis (as we do not know which child the perpetrator of abuse was in the case of multiple sons or daughters). Second, when no children were staying with the elderly, information on children was not collected and therefore we do not have this information in many cases.
The statistical analysis is based on logistic regression to understand the independent association of education with abuse against the elderly. Several other factors that are likely to be associated with abuse are also included in the model such as marital status, caste, formal education, cognitive function, wealth, employment status, place of residence, household size, living children and property/asset ownership. The classification of caste is based on Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST), Other Backward Classes and Other Caste Groups. The SC/ST are socially and economically among the most least developed groups in India followed by OBC (Other Backward Classes). The caste group denoted as “others” refer to those at the higher end of the caste ladder. As the reliability of income data obtained from surveys are of suspect in India, we have computed an asset ownership index by combining several assets and amenities within the household.