Abstract
The present paper sought to investigate the association between intimate partner violence (IPV) and the levels of quality of life (QoL) and its domains (control and autonomy; personal fulfillment and pleasure), in older people. A population-based cross-sectional study of the second wave (2013/2014) of the EpiFloripa Study was carried out with older people (n = 649) living in Florianópolis, SC, Southern Brazil. The average QoL score and their domains were described according to the adjustment variables (age, income, cognitive deficit, depressive symptoms, and dependence on activities of daily living) stratified by gender. The relation between IPV and QoL was analyzed using multiple linear regression with a statistical significance of 5%. The average scores of QoL, personal fulfillment, and pleasure were similar between genders, while control and women’s autonomy were significantly lower compared to men (p= 0.04). Lower QoL scores were observed in women exposed to violence in the three directionalities analyzed: perpetrated (-3.15; 95%CI: -4.84; -1.45), bidirectional (-2.59; 95%CI: -4.10; -1.09), and suffered (-1,62; 95%CI: -3.06; -0.17); the most affected ones were those who were aggressive. The control and autonomy were affected for the perpetrators and those involved in bidirectional violence, while lower scores of personal fulfillment and pleasure were seen among the older women in any violent situation. Men did not have their QoL impaired due to IPV, neither as victims nor perpetrators of this violence. It was concluded that IPV has an asymmetric impact on the QoL of older people when it comes to gender with women being the most affected ones.
Keywords
Intimate Partner Violence; Quality of life; Men; Women; Health of the Elderly
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