Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the elder abuse suspicion index in community-dwelling older adults

Authors: ERAY SERDAR YURDAKUL, BETÜL GÜLSÜM YAVUZ VEİZİ, CANDENİZ AVCI, HATİCE TUĞBA YAZIR, ELİF AVANER, MEHMET İLKİN NAHARCI, OKTAY SARI

Abstract: Background/aim: Elder abuse is among the most important ethical issue during the management of older population. The elder abuse suspicion index (EASI) was developed for evaluating abuse in older adults. We aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the Turkish version EASI-Türkiye (TR) among older adults. Material and methods: This study included 89 community-dwelling older adults. The EASI-TR and other scales, including HwalekSengstock Elder Abuse Screening Test-Türkiye (HS/EAST-TR), YGDS, Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale (YGDS), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) were administered to all participants. Internal consistency and external validity were assessed. Results: EASI-TR revealed an excellent test-retest reliability and acceptable level of internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.711). The item-total correlations ranged between 0.296 and 0.701, except for the second item. This test showed significant correlations with the HS/EAST-TR and IADL (p < 0.05), demonstrating good external validity. Conclusion: The EASI-TR appears to have acceptable reliability and validity in screening for abuse in older adults. This tool may recognize cases that require additional evaluation in managing of ethical issues.

Keywords: Older adults, elder abuse, validity and reliability, Toronto declaration, vulnerable populations

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