{"title":"Cognitive disability among older adults in Botswana: prevalence, trends, and sociodemographic determinants from cross-sectional data.","authors":"Tiro Theodore Monamo, Mpho Keetile, Gobopamang Letamo","doi":"10.1186/s12877-025-06383-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-025-06383-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cognitive impairment is a critical issue among older adults, especially as populations age and demands on healthcare systems increase. In Botswana, the growing older adult population and the rising chronic diseases prevalence highlight the need for focused research on cognitive disability trends and their socio-demographic influences. By analysing demographic data and examining socio-demographic and health-related factors associated with cognitive disability, this research seeks to provide an in-depth understanding of the trajectory of cognitive disability within the ageing demographic in Botswana.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study analysed self-reported cognitive disability trends among older adults aged 65 + in Botswana using data from the 2017 Botswana Demographic Survey (BDS) and the 2022 Population and Housing Census (PHC). Disability prevalence was measured using the Washington Group Short Set (WGSS) questions. Bivariate analyses assessed prevalence and trends across demographic groups, and logistic regression models examined socio-demographic and health factors associated with cognitive disability.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of self-reported cognitive disability in Botswana increased substantially over a five-year period, rising from 6.4% in 2017 to 22.2% in 2022-an increase of 15.8%. This upward trend was consistent across all sociodemographic indicators examined. The most rapid rise was observed among adults aged 80 years and older. In the 2022 data, several factors were significantly associated with higher odds of cognitive disability, including advancing age, female gender, residence in rural areas, unemployment, and the presence of physical health conditions (p < 0.05 for all associations).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study demonstrates a substantial and consistent increase in the prevalence of self-reported cognitive disability among older adults in Botswana between 2017 and 2022. This sharp rise likely reflects a combination of measurement differences, changing cultural attitudes, real epidemiological shifts associated with an ageing population and rising non-communicable diseases, and possibly the broader impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced cognitive health interventions, improved data quality, and continued monitoring to address the growing burden of cognitive disability in Botswana's ageing society.</p>","PeriodicalId":9056,"journal":{"name":"BMC Geriatrics","volume":"25 1","pages":"670"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12395718/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144942124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC GeriatricsPub Date : 2025-08-28DOI: 10.1186/s12877-025-06301-0
Michael Reaume, Ricardo Batista, Haris Imsirovic, Lise M Bjerre, Claire E Kendall, Louise Bouchard, Alain P Gauthier, Josette-Renée Landry, Marie-Hélène Chomienne, Mwali Muray, Amy Hsu, Denis Prud'homme, Doug G Manuel, Peter Tanuseputro
{"title":"Linguistic factors and COVID-19 outcomes among long-term care residents in Ontario, Canada.","authors":"Michael Reaume, Ricardo Batista, Haris Imsirovic, Lise M Bjerre, Claire E Kendall, Louise Bouchard, Alain P Gauthier, Josette-Renée Landry, Marie-Hélène Chomienne, Mwali Muray, Amy Hsu, Denis Prud'homme, Doug G Manuel, Peter Tanuseputro","doi":"10.1186/s12877-025-06301-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-025-06301-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected frail individuals, especially those living in long-term care (LTC) homes. This study examined the role of linguistic factors on COVID-19 related outcomes in LTC homes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We performed a population-based, retrospective cohort study of residents living in LTC homes in Ontario, Canada who were diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 31, 2020 and March 31, 2021. Resident language, obtained from LTC assessments, was used to classify residents into one of the three linguistic groups: Anglophone (English), Francophone (French), and allophone (other language). Language of the LTC home was determined using a person-time representation of the languages spoken by residents within each LTC home. We defined LTC facilities as French homes when Francophone residents contributed more than 25% of the person-days, and allophone homes when allophone residents contributed more than 50% of the person-days. Residents whose language corresponded to the language of the LTC home in which they were living were said to have received language-concordant care, while all other residents were said to have received language-discordant care. The outcomes of this study were ED visits, hospitalizations, and mortality within 90 days.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We included a total of 26,829 LTC residents (20,315 Anglophones, 1,032 Francophones, and 5,482 allophones) living in 572 LTC homes (502 English, 28 French, 42 allophone) who were diagnosed with COVID-19. LTC residents who lived in language-discordant homes were more likely to have ED visits (adjusted HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.01-1.25) and hospitalizations (adjusted HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.02-1.29) when compared to LTC residents who lived in language-concordant homes. Residents-facility language discordance was not associated with overall mortality (adjusted HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.91-1.10) or in hospital mortality (adjusted HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.88-1.23).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Residents living in language-discordant LTC facilities experienced more ED visits and hospitalizations following diagnosis of COVID-19. The findings of this study highlight the importance of providing frail, vulnerable individuals with linguistically concordant care.</p>","PeriodicalId":9056,"journal":{"name":"BMC Geriatrics","volume":"25 1","pages":"667"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12392623/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144942057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC GeriatricsPub Date : 2025-08-28DOI: 10.1186/s12877-025-06257-1
Aymeric Courtay-Breuil, Leo Delaire, Joannès Humblot, Thomas Gilbert, Mylène Aubertin-Leheudre, Marc Bonnefoy
{"title":"Influence of a multicomponent exercise intervention on fear of falling and gait parameters in community-dwelling older adults: a prospective study.","authors":"Aymeric Courtay-Breuil, Leo Delaire, Joannès Humblot, Thomas Gilbert, Mylène Aubertin-Leheudre, Marc Bonnefoy","doi":"10.1186/s12877-025-06257-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-025-06257-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9056,"journal":{"name":"BMC Geriatrics","volume":"25 1","pages":"668"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12395898/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144942016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC GeriatricsPub Date : 2025-08-27DOI: 10.1186/s12877-025-06294-w
Nga-Yan Hui, Linda Dong-Ling Wang, Jeff Yiu, Matthew Guocheng Feng, Peiyi Lu, Vivian W Q Lou
{"title":"JC Stand-by-U- development and evaluation of an in-home respite service model using mixed-method quasi-experimental design: study protocol.","authors":"Nga-Yan Hui, Linda Dong-Ling Wang, Jeff Yiu, Matthew Guocheng Feng, Peiyi Lu, Vivian W Q Lou","doi":"10.1186/s12877-025-06294-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12877-025-06294-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In an ageing society, most older adults who require long-term care are still living in their homes and communities. Their families are burdened by caregiving duties, but their unique needs are often overlooked. In response to the increasing needs of respite care, the Jockey Club Stand-by-U (JC Stand-by-U) Caregivers Community Support Project aims to study the family caregivers' needs and how to best support them in the context of Hong Kong.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The caregivers and their care recipients are evaluated by a comprehensive assessment before and after the intervention and followed up in 3, 6, 12 months, separately. Caregivers are divided into four needs levels and provided by different types of services, delivered by either trained volunteers or substitute caregivers. A mixed-method quasi-experimental study with a comparison group of non-users of in-home respite will be conducted to evaluate the in-home respite model designed in this project. Questionnaire data will be used to evaluate the effect of the service model quantitatively, while the service records will be used to analyse the quality of service and the mechanism of service effect qualitatively.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Caregivers are expected to show improvement in their mental wellbeing after the respite. The intervention follows a screening-guided approach which balances the resource supply and the needs of the caregiver, optimising the effectiveness and sustainability of the in-home respite programme. In the long-run, policymakers can ultilise the result from this study when designing long-term care plan in this ageing society.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier NCT06981117, 20 May 2025, retrospectively registered.</p>","PeriodicalId":9056,"journal":{"name":"BMC Geriatrics","volume":"25 1","pages":"665"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12382050/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144942024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC GeriatricsPub Date : 2025-08-27DOI: 10.1186/s12877-025-06338-1
Sylvie D'hondt, Isabelle Aujoulat, Jean-Marie Degryse
{"title":"Scales used to assess ageism in the health care sector: a (COSMIN) systematic review of the measurement properties.","authors":"Sylvie D'hondt, Isabelle Aujoulat, Jean-Marie Degryse","doi":"10.1186/s12877-025-06338-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-025-06338-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>We aimed to systematically assess the measurement properties of ageism scales tested in a population of health care professionals and students.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Eligible studies were peer-reviewed English language publications that sampled a population of health care professionals and/or students and focused on developing and/or evaluating at least one psychometric property of an ageism scale. A systematic review was conducted until 15th December 2023 via the following databases: PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, and Scopus. Data extraction and quality assessment (including a risk of bias evaluation) of the included studies was undertaken by two reviewers in accordance with COSMIN guidelines.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of 1,626 articles selected, 51 were eligible for inclusion reporting evidence on the measurement properties and/or on the development of eight ageism scales. Only five scales have been specifically developed for health care professionals or students. Furthermore, the available scales fail to cover all dimensions of ageism, with many focusing solely on stereotypes and the explicit and negative dimensions of ageism and less on the implicit dimension. Our review also revealed that the evidence was often of poor quality and limited to only a few psychometric properties. Finally, we found that the assessed scales had poor theoretical foundations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study emphasises the need to develop and validate a comprehensive scale that measures the complexity of ageism in the health care sector.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>PROSPERO registration CRD42021276470.</p>","PeriodicalId":9056,"journal":{"name":"BMC Geriatrics","volume":"25 1","pages":"666"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12392548/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144942089","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC GeriatricsPub Date : 2025-08-26DOI: 10.1186/s12877-025-06295-9
Shu Zhang, Yukiko Nishita, Chikako Tange, Kanae Furuya, Fujiko Ando, Hiroshi Shimokata, Rei Otsuka
{"title":"Risk factors associated with cognitive frailty development through different transition pathways among community-dwelling older adult Japanese individuals: insights from the NILS-LSA project.","authors":"Shu Zhang, Yukiko Nishita, Chikako Tange, Kanae Furuya, Fujiko Ando, Hiroshi Shimokata, Rei Otsuka","doi":"10.1186/s12877-025-06295-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-025-06295-9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9056,"journal":{"name":"BMC Geriatrics","volume":"25 1","pages":"663"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12379331/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144942148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC GeriatricsPub Date : 2025-08-26DOI: 10.1186/s12877-025-06327-4
Tianyi Wang, Shuang Tang, Ruwen Zheng, Lin Wang
{"title":"Exploring the potential relationship between kidney disease index and cognitive dysfunction: a machine learning approach with NHANES data.","authors":"Tianyi Wang, Shuang Tang, Ruwen Zheng, Lin Wang","doi":"10.1186/s12877-025-06327-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-025-06327-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study investigates the relationship between the Kidney Disease Index (KDI) and cognitive function, evaluating its potential as a predictive marker for cognitive impairment in older adults. We also compare the performance of KDI with traditional kidney function markers, including estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), in predicting cognitive decline.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) involving participants aged 60 years or older were analyzed. Multivariable regression models were employed to assess the relationship between KDI, eGFR, UACR, and cognitive impairment. Restricted cubic splines (RCS) were used to explore the dose-response relationship between KDI levels and cognitive impairment, and interaction analyses were performed to assess how KDI impacts cognitive function across various demographic groups. Machine learning techniques, including LASSO, XGBoost, and random forests, were applied for feature selection and model validation to predict cognitive impairment. The performance of the predictive models was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and decision curve analysis (DCA). Calibration was assessed through calibration curves to ensure accurate prediction probabilities, while SHAP values were used to interpret the relative importance of KDI and other variables in predicting cognitive impairment.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A higher KDI level may be significantly associated with lower cognitive scores and an increased risk of cognitive impairment. For each 0.1 unit increase in KDI, cognitive scores decrease by 0.17 points, and the probability of cognitive impairment increases by 15%. Machine learning confirmed that the AUC of KDI (> 0.7) is higher than that of eGFR and UACR, indicating that KDI may outperform eGFR and UACR in predicting cognitive impairment. The SHAP model further validated the predictive value of KDI.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>KDI may be a reliable and effective indicator for predicting cognitive function and the risk of cognitive impairment in the elderly. Research suggests that higher KDI levels may serve as a risk factor for cognitive decline, underscoring the importance of managing KDI for cognitive health, particularly in populations with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Future studies should focus on longitudinal research and clinical interventions to further validate the clinical utility of KDI and develop treatment strategies based on KDI.</p>","PeriodicalId":9056,"journal":{"name":"BMC Geriatrics","volume":"25 1","pages":"664"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12382064/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144942197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC GeriatricsPub Date : 2025-08-26DOI: 10.1186/s12877-025-06337-2
Senda Zhong, Yuqian Wang
{"title":"Digital exclusion and loneliness in older people: panel data analysis of three longitudinal cohort studies.","authors":"Senda Zhong, Yuqian Wang","doi":"10.1186/s12877-025-06337-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-025-06337-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Older adults are more vulnerable to digital exclusion, which has been associated with psychological distress. This study investigated the relationship between digital exclusion and loneliness among older adults across three countries using three longitudinal surveys.</p><p><strong>Design and measurements: </strong>Digital exclusion was defined as self-reported non-use of the internet. Loneliness was assessed using the Three-Item Loneliness Scale (T-ILS). We employed Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) with binary logistic regression and propensity score matching (PSM) to examine the association between digital exclusion and loneliness, adjusting for covariates including Age; Gender; Education; Marital status; Employment status; Cohabitation with children; Self-rated health; and Income.</p><p><strong>Setting and participants: </strong>Nationally representative samples of older adults were obtained from three longitudinal studies: the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). The analysis included 39,190 participants (87,256 observations) across the three studies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Substantial cross-national disparities in digital exclusion rates were observed: CHARLS (96.20%), HRS (52.13%), and ELSA (33.54%). In the fully adjusted model (Model 3), digital exclusion was significantly associated with loneliness in all three studies (CHARLS: OR = 1.22; HRS: OR = 1.16; ELSA: OR = 1.30). These associations remained statistically significant after propensity score matching (CHARLS: OR = 1.33; HRS: OR = 1.23; ELSA: OR = 1.23).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings indicate that a substantial proportion of older adults experience digital exclusion, particularly in China. Digital exclusion demonstrates a positive association with loneliness, suggesting that enhancing digital inclusion may serve as a critical strategy for alleviating loneliness and mitigating psychological distress in ageing populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":9056,"journal":{"name":"BMC Geriatrics","volume":"25 1","pages":"662"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12379439/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144942273","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Chronic pain in older adults with psychiatric disorders: the DoCPPA study protocol.","authors":"Hélène Saint-Martin, Isabelle Rouch, Bernard Laurent, Arlette Edjolo, Elodie Pongan, Mathieu Herrmann, Christelle Creac'h, Karine Pérès, Hélène Amieva, Jean-Michel Dorey","doi":"10.1186/s12877-025-06239-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-025-06239-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Chronic pain (CP) and psychiatric disorders (PD) are common in older adults, and they both may significantly impact patients' functioning and quality of life. However, research on the prevalence and impact of CP in people with PD remains limited- especially in older adults- and psychiatric care often neglects somatic comorbidities.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The main objective of the DoCPPA study is to determine the prevalence and characteristics of CP in older adults with PD followed-up in psychiatric services. Our secondary objective is to estimate associations between CP and various clinical indicators related to physical, cognitive, and mental health, as well as quality of life.</p><p><strong>Setting: </strong>Department of Aging Psychiatry of Le Vinatier Hospital Center (France, Bron), inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services.</p><p><strong>Method/design: </strong>Cross-sectional monocentric study with 430 patients with PD under psychiatric care. The inclusion period will be 36 months. The patients will be evaluated using validated scales and neuropsychological assessments.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This study aims to contribute to improving care in aging psychiatry, a field where a major challenge lies in the management of multiple chronic conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":9056,"journal":{"name":"BMC Geriatrics","volume":"25 1","pages":"661"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12376453/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144942086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC GeriatricsPub Date : 2025-08-25DOI: 10.1186/s12877-025-06291-z
Johanna Simmons, Elida Floberg, Christina Casselgren, Björn Westerlind, Jonas Sandberg, Katarina Swahnberg, Katarina Nägga, Mikael Ludvigsson, Linda Johansson
{"title":"REAGERA-dementia: study protocol for the validation of screening instruments to detect abuse of people with dementia.","authors":"Johanna Simmons, Elida Floberg, Christina Casselgren, Björn Westerlind, Jonas Sandberg, Katarina Swahnberg, Katarina Nägga, Mikael Ludvigsson, Linda Johansson","doi":"10.1186/s12877-025-06291-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-025-06291-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Abuse of older people is common and people living with dementia are at high risk of being subjected to abuse. This study protocol describes the development and procedure to test the validity of two new screening instruments to detect abuse of people with dementia: 1) The REAGERA-S20, intended to be answered by people with dementia themselves, including questions about their abusive experiences, and 2) The REAGERA - N, intended to be answered by the next of kin of people with dementia, including questions about their own exposure to abuse, their own perpetration as well as the witnessing of abusive acts. In addition, the Risk on Elder Abuse and Mistreatment Instrument (REAMI) is translated into Swedish within the project and will be validated. Finally, qualitative interviews are conducted to explore the experiences of abuse from the perspective of both the person with dementia and the next of kin.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>People with mild to moderate dementia (n = 80) and their next of kin (n = 80) are recruited at health and social care facilities providing care to people with dementia. In cases of severe dementia, only next of kin is included. At the time of data collection, participants fill out the instruments and are thereafter interviewed, first separately and then jointly by researchers about their abusive experiences. The interviews are used as a gold standard for calculating the properties of the instruments, e.g., sensitivity and specificity, but will also be used for qualitative analysis concerning the experiences of abuse. Health and social care professionals that are well acquainted with the participants fill out the REAMI and results will be validated using the results of the interviews as the gold standard.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This study protocol describes a research project that aims towards a comprehensive identification and understanding of abuse of people with dementia by including the perspective of both people with dementia themselves, their next of kin and professionals. If the instruments are found to be reliable they can be used to detect abuse in people with dementia. Also, the qualitative interviews with participants will enhance our understanding of abuse of people with dementia.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06659822. Retrospectively registered on October 25 2024.</p>","PeriodicalId":9056,"journal":{"name":"BMC Geriatrics","volume":"25 1","pages":"660"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12376475/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144942168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}