This article focuses on the development of a conceptual framework for explaining the etiology of violence in later life by various groups involved in the field of elder abuse. In this study, we... Show moreThis article focuses on the development of a conceptual framework for explaining the etiology of violence in later life by various groups involved in the field of elder abuse. In this study, we explore this through eight focus groups with different professionals involved in the field of elder abuse and older persons themselves and in interviews with 35 experts in the field. Our findings show that dependency, vulnerability, power and control, social isolation, stress, and care burden play a central role in their explanations for the occurrence of violence in later life. The role of a history of violence in violence in later life is equivocal. The complexity and ambiguity of dependency and vulnerability, the notion of mutual dependency, and diverse attitudes and expectations toward them that arise with the aging process are distinct features of violence in later life that were found. Show less
Background: elder abuse greatly impacts the quality of life of older individuals. Prevalence rates range from 3 to 30% depending on the definition used. Only about a dozen studies have explored how... Show moreBackground: elder abuse greatly impacts the quality of life of older individuals. Prevalence rates range from 3 to 30% depending on the definition used. Only about a dozen studies have explored how older victims themselves experience and explain abuse. It is essential that healthcare professionals understand the perceptions of older victims as they are among the most important groups to handle and report abuse.Design: a qualitative study on the perceptions and experiences of victims of elder abuse was conducted using in-depth semi-structured interviews.Setting: abused individuals living independently, in residential care facilities and nursing homes.Subjects: six males and 11 females aged 63-90 years.Results: the main causes of abuse identified by older victims themselves were mutual dependency between victim and perpetrator, power and control imbalances, loneliness and a marginalised social position of older persons. Effects of abuse included negative feelings, physical and psychological distress, a change of personal norms and values, changed perspectives on money and low self-efficacy. These differential effects depended upon the types of abuse experienced and the relationship with the perpetrator. Coping strategies mentioned by victims were seeking informal or professional help and using self-help strategies.Conclusion: older victims perceive abuse differently depending on the expected acceptability of the type(s) of abuse experienced and the anticipated stigma associated with the perpetrator involved. The effects and chosen coping strategies are influenced by these considerations and therewith also influence their help-seeking behaviour. Healthcare professionals are encouraged to use these findings in practice to prevent, detect and intervene in elder abuse. Show less
Life history theory postulates a trade‐off between development and maintenance. This trade‐off is observed when comparing life histories of different animal species. In humans, however, it is... Show moreLife history theory postulates a trade‐off between development and maintenance. This trade‐off is observed when comparing life histories of different animal species. In humans, however, it is debated if variation in longevity is explained by differences in developmental traits. Observational studies found a trade‐off between early and high fecundity and longevity in women. Development encompasses more than fecundity and also concerns growth and physical performance. Here, we show a life history trade‐off between early and above average physical performance and longevity in male Olympic athletes. Athletes who peaked at an earlier age showed 17‐percent increased mortality rates (95% CI 8‐26% per SD, p<0.001) and athletes who ranked higher showed 11‐percent increased mortality rates (95% CI 1‐22% per SD, p=0.025). Male athletes who had both an early and extraordinary peak performance suffered a 4.7‐year longevity cost. (95% CI 2.1‐7.5 years, p=0.001). This is the first time a life history trade‐off between physical performance and longevity has been found in humans. This finding deepens our understanding of early developmental influences on the variation of longevity in humans. Show less
Purpose: The moving rectangle method is used to disentangle the contributions of rectangularization and life span extension to the increase in life expectancy. It requires the choice of an endpoint... Show morePurpose: The moving rectangle method is used to disentangle the contributions of rectangularization and life span extension to the increase in life expectancy. It requires the choice of an endpoint of the survival curve that approaches the maximum age at death. We examined the effect of choosing different end points on the outcomes of this method. Methods: For five developed countries, survival curves from age 50 years were constructed per calendar year from 1922 onward. Survival values of 0.1, 0.01, and 0.001 were chosen as end points of the survival curve, and the contributions of rectangularization and life span extension to the increase in life expectancy were calculated using the moving rectangle method. Results: The choice of different survival values as end points profoundly influenced the estimated contributions of rectangularization and life span extension to the increase in life expectancy. When choosing 0.001, rectangularization contributed most years, whereas when choosing 0.1, life span extension contributed most years. Conclusions: When the moving rectangle method is used to estimate the contributions of rectangularization and life span extension to the increase in life expectancy, its outcomes depend on the choice of the endpoint of the survival curve. Show less
