Frailty and Elder Abuse Among Older Adults in Outpatient Settings in Nigeria: A Case-Control Study

Introduction Background Frailty and elder abuse are growing concerns among older adults, especially in low-resource settings like Nigeria. Frailty may increase vulnerability to abuse, yet evidence from outpatient psychiatric and general medical settings remains limited (Dong, 2015; Yon et al., 2017; Torres-Castro et al., 2018). Objectives To assess and compare the prevalence of elder abuse and frailty among older adults in General Outpatient (GOPD) and Psychiatric Clinics in a Nigerian teaching hospital, Jos University teaching Hospital, Jos and to explore associations with sociodemographic factors. Methods A case-control study of 140 adults aged ≥50 years (75 GOPD, 65 Psychiatry). Elder abuse, frailty, and sociodemographic data were collected using structured questionnaires. Analyses included chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests (Fulmer et al., 2005; Cooper et al., 2009; Bouillon et al., 2013), with significance at p < 0.05. Results Psychiatric patients were significantly older (p = 0.015) and more often female (p = 0.005). Overall elder abuse prevalence was high (69.3%), significantly greater in psychiatric outpatients (78.5%) than GOPD (61.3%; p = 0.028). Psychological, neglect, and financial abuse were particularly elevated in psychiatric patients (Dong et al., 2013; Santos et al., 2019). Frailty severity showed no significant difference between groups, and no association with abuse was identified (Shamliyan et al., 2013; Torres-Castro et al., 2018). Table 1. Overral Elder Abuse Prevalence Table 1. Long description. Group Elder Abuse % No abuse % GOPD 61.3 38.7 Psychiatry 78.5 21.5 Table 2. Types of elderly abuse Table 2. Long description. Type of abuse GOPD % Psychiatry % Psychological 50.7 69.2 Neglect 14.7 46.2 Financial 33.3 55.4 Physical 21.3 33.8 sexual 6.7 13.8 Table 3. Table 3. Long description. Median Frailty Score GOPD 2.0 Psychiatry 2.0 Conclusions Elder abuse is highly prevalent in Nigerian outpatient settings, particularly among psychiatric patients. Frailty was not independently associated with abuse, but their co-occurrence highlights the need for integrated screening and culturally adapted interventions in routine care (Yon et al., 2017; Bouillon et al., 2013). Keywords: Elder abuse; Frailty; Psychiatry; General Outpatients; Jos; Nigeria Disclosure of Interest None Declared