Grant: Applied Public Health Chair - LOI

Violence against women is a common problem around the world, and leads to major health, social, and economic problems for women. Older women can experience various forms of abuse, neglect, and violence by their spouses, children, and others who provide care. Many studies have focused on this concern but there is limited research about how abuse can be prevented, particularly among older immigrants in Canada. Building on the studies I have already conducted, the purpose of my program of research is to design and test a comprehensive intervention to prevent abuse and related health problems among older immigrants. This program of research will bring together researchers, older immigrant women and men, their families, health, social, and settlement service providers, and key partners in various levels of government in four provinces. The research program will help: 1) identify factors that contribute to abuse of older immigrants and available strategies to address these factors; 2) verify these factors and strategies across the four provinces through focus groups held with older women, older men, and their families from various immigrant communities, and service providers and policymakers; 3) use these findings to design a comprehensive intervention to help prevent abuse among older immigrants; and 4) test how acceptable and effective the intervention is in preventing abuse and its health problems among older immigrant women and men. The findings have the potential to generate new knowledge that will ultimately contribute to safer communities, and result in major cost savings to the Canadian health care system as well.