Baseline characteristics of elderly respondents by the presence of overall abuse (n=1927)
| Characteristics | Abused | Non-abused | Total | p Value | ||
| n | %* | n | %* | N | ||
| Age | ||||||
| Oldest–old (80+ years) | 8 | 4.4 | 175 | 95.6 | 183 | 0.41 |
| Old–old (70–79 years) | 29 | 3.7 | 752 | 96.3 | 781 | |
| Young–old (60–69 years) | 47 | 4.9 | 915 | 95.1 | 962 | |
| Sex | ||||||
| Male | 40 | 5.3 | 715 | 94.7 | 755 | 0.26 |
| Female | 44 | 3.8 | 1127 | 96.2 | 1171 | |
| Marital status | ||||||
| Not married | 7 | 10.9 | 57 | 89.1 | 64 | 0.04 |
| Widowed | 19 | 3.1 | 593 | 96.9 | 612 | |
| Married | 58 | 4.6 | 1193 | 95.4 | 1251 | |
| Ethnicity | ||||||
| Non Malay† | 6 | 13.3 | 39 | 86.7 | 45 | 0.29 |
| Malay | 78 | 4.1 | 1804 | 95.9 | 1882 | |
| Educational level | ||||||
| Secondary or higher | 16 | 3.2 | 489 | 96.8 | 505 | 0.41 |
| None or primary | 68 | 4.8 | 1354 | 95.2 | 1422 | |
| Poverty‡ | ||||||
| Hardcore poor (<RM440) | 19 | 5.3 | 341 | 94.7 | 360 | 0.26 |
| Poor (RM441-700) | 20 | 5.8 | 327 | 94.2 | 347 | |
| Non-poor (>RM700) | 44 | 3.6 | 1164 | 96.4 | 1208 | |
| Living arrangements | ||||||
| Staying alone | 12 | 6.7 | 168 | 93.3 | 180 | 0.07 |
| Staying with others | 72 | 4.1 | 1675 | 95.9 | 1747 | |
| Current employment | ||||||
| Currently employed | 11 | 5.8 | 179 | 94.2 | 190 | 0.22 |
| Not currently employed | 72 | 4.2 | 1648 | 95.8 | 1720 | |
| Physical health | ||||||
| Below normal | 47 | 5.1 | 871 | 94.9 | 918 | 0.66 |
| Normal | 37 | 3.7 | 954 | 96.3 | 991 | |
| Cognitive impairment | ||||||
| Borderline | 14 | 5.6 | 238 | 94.4 | 252 | 0.47 |
| None | 70 | 4.2 | 1605 | 95.8 | 1675 | |
| Stress | ||||||
| Stress | 9 | 31.0 | 20 | 69.0 | 29 | 0.01 |
| No stress | 75 | 4.0 | 1806 | 96.0 | 1881 | |
| Anxiety | ||||||
| Anxiety | 15 | 24.2 | 47 | 75.8 | 62 | <0.001 |
| No anxiety | 69 | 3.7 | 1785 | 96.3 | 1854 | |
| Depressive symptoms | ||||||
| Depressive symptoms | 14 | 31.1 | 1803 | 96.3 | 1872 | <0.001 |
| No depressive symptoms | 69 | 3.7 | 31 | 68.9 | 45 | |
| Chronic disease | ||||||
| Presence of any one disease | 73 | 4.9 | 1431 | 95.1 | 1504 | 0.09 |
| No chronic disease | 11 | 2.6 | 410 | 97.4 | 421 | |
| History of abuse (prior to age 60) | ||||||
| Abuse | 14 | 17.3 | 67 | 82.7 | 81 | <0.001 |
| No abuse | 68 | 3.8 | 1735 | 96.2 | 1803 | |
| Risk of social isolation | ||||||
| At risk | 28 | 8.2 | 315 | 91.8 | 343 | 0.01 |
| Not at risk | 53 | 3.4 | 1519 | 96.6 | 1572 | |
*Table percentages are row percentages.
†Malays refer to the largest population group in Malaysia, while non-Malays in this study refers to both ethnic Chinese and Indians.
‡Poverty delineation follows that of the Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister’s Department Poverty Line Indicator.