Research has demonstrated that violence is associated with worse health in older age. Most of the evidence, however, comes from cross-sectional studies. Research showing how health changes over time in people who have experienced lifetime violence is very scarce.
To address this gap, VISION researchers, led by Dr Anastasia Fadeeva with colleagues Dr Polina Obolenskaya, Dr Estela Capelas Barbosa, Professor Gene Feder and Professor Sally McManus, used seven waves of data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) collected between 2006 and 2019 (waves 3 to 9), to examine the associations between parental physical abuse in childhood and any physical or sexual violence across the life course, with the subsequent changes in depressive symptoms, the likelihood of probable depression, and long-standing limiting illness.
The team used a sample of 6171 participants aged 50 and over who answered all questions about violence exposure in wave 3 of ELSA, while information about their health was collected from wave 3 to 9.
The VISION study provides new evidence that health consequences are sustained throughout later life. Results showed that violence of different kinds predicts poorer physical and mental health in older age. Furthermore, the health disparities between victims and non-victims did not reduce over time. This was evident in both men and women.
The findings highlight the value of implementing violence prevention measures throughout the life course, not only to mitigate immediate consequences of violence and abuse but also to reduce the burden of ill health in older age. The results also underscore the need to identify modifiable risk factors such as violence in order to inform polices aiming to promote healthy ageing. More longitudinal data, including from administrative sources, are needed to further demonstrate the associations between different types of violence and health outcomes as people age.
Recommendation
Healthy aging could be improved by preventing violence across the life course. Reducing and addressing experiences of violence at a younger age could reduce the burden of – and inequalities in – poor health in later life.
To cite: Anastasia Fadeeva, Polina Obolenskaya, Estela Capelas Barbosa, Gene Feder, Sally McManus, Violence across the life course and physical and mental health trajectories in later life: a 13-year population-based cohort study in England, The Lancet Healthy Longevity, Volume 6, Issue 7, July 2025, 100738 https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azaf064
For further information, please contact Anastasia at anastasia.fadeeva@citystgeorges.ac.uk
Photograph from Age Without Limits image library.