RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: In spite of tremendous impact on health, elder abuse is still an underreported and unrecognized issue. OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of abuse among community dwelling elderly and to identify the various risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 10 randomly selected wards of Guwahati city. A total of 331 elderly (60 years and above) were interviewed. Abuse was screened by Hwalek-Sengstock Elder Abuse Screening Test (H-S EAST). RESULTS: The study revealed 9.31% prevalence. Neglect was the most common type of abuse reported. Age, sex, socioeconomic status, living status, and functional status were found to be significantly associated with abuse. CONCLUSION: Abuse is prevalent among elderly population.