Environment risk factors
A low level of social support was a risk factor in four
general population studies, with higher levels of social support reducing the risk of elder abuse, e.g. OR 0.41
(0.19–0.90) [24]. In four studies of elders requiring assistance with ADLs, low social support increased the risk of
abuse, e.g. OR 3.54 (1.54–8.13) [64] and OR 4.59 (2.37–
8.85) [60].
There were mixed results with respect to living
arrangements—living with others correlated with overall
abuse (in four general population studies and one study
of elders with dementia) but not financial abuse. One
study recorded the risk factor as ‘living alone or with
children’ [20]; it was excluded from the analysis and is
not shown in Table 1 as it was difficult to draw conclusions about which aspect was associated with abuse.