Malaysian Elder Abuse Scale (MEAS)

Abstract

The Malaysian Elder Abuse Scale (MEAS) is a specialized, 20-item psychometric instrument developed specifically for measuring the prevalence and characteristics of elder abuse within the Malaysian sociocultural context. Developed by researchers at the University of Malaya, the MEAS was first introduced in 2010. It functions as a self-report questionnaire, meticulously structured to align with the internationally recognized definition of elder abuse established by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The scale is comprehensively divided into four critical subscales: physical abuse, psychological abuse, financial abuse, and neglect. Extensive validation studies, which involved a sample of 590 elderly individuals residing in Kuala Lumpur, have confirmed that the MEAS exhibits strong psychometric properties, specifically demonstrating robust reliability and validity. Consequently, the MEAS serves as a vital tool for clinical assessment, intervention planning, and the development of evidence-based policy aimed at safeguarding the welfare of the elderly population in Malaysia.

Keywords

Malaysian Elder Abuse Scale, MEAS, Elder Abuse, Gerontology, Physical abuse, Psychological abuse, Financial abuse, Neglect, Malaysia, Self-report questionnaire, Psychometrics.

Authors

Hamid, T.A., Momtaz, Y.A., Ibrahim, R., et al.

Purpose

The primary objective of the Malaysian Elder Abuse Scale (MEAS) is to provide a standardized and culturally sensitive methodology for quantitatively assessing the scope, type, and severity of elder abuse specifically tailored to the Malaysian population. By providing structured, quantitative data on various forms of maltreatment, the scale offers a significant advancement over relying solely on anecdotal evidence or generalized international instruments.

A crucial secondary purpose involves utilizing the data generated by the scale to identify specific demographic and psychological risk factors associated with both the victims of abuse and the alleged perpetrators. This targeted information is indispensable for developing highly effective prevention strategies, creating culturally relevant clinical screening tools, and guiding public policies designed to improve the well-being and security of older adults in Malaysia.

Construct

The MEAS is designed to measure the complex, latent construct of Elder Abuse. Operationally, this construct is defined across four distinct, measurable dimensions of maltreatment, consistent with the international guidelines and definitions provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). Elder abuse, in the context of the MEAS, encompasses both intentional acts or the failure to act by a caregiver or other trusted individual, which results in harm or poses a serious risk of harm to an older person.

The scale successfully captures the multi-faceted nature of abuse by segmenting it into four core sub-domains, recognizing that maltreatment is rarely singular in form. The 20 items of the MEAS are distributed across these four core subscales: Physical Abuse, Psychological Abuse, Financial Abuse, and Neglect. This dimensional approach ensures a comprehensive and detailed assessment of the various ways older adults may experience mistreatment.

Validity

The validity of the MEAS was rigorously established through a dedicated psychometric study involving 590 elderly residents in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The findings indicated that the scale possesses good overall validity, confirming that it accurately measures the intended construct of elder abuse across its defined dimensions within the target population.

The development phase emphasized high content validity through a thorough process of item generation and expert review, ensuring that the 20 items adequately represented the full domain of elder abuse as defined both culturally in Malaysia and internationally. Furthermore, evidence for construct validity was demonstrated by the scale’s ability to successfully differentiate between individuals who reported experiences of abuse and those who did not, aligning with established theoretical frameworks regarding the detection of maltreatment.

Reliability

The original psychometric validation study confirmed that the MEAS exhibits good internal consistency and stability, thus possessing strong reliability. Reliability, in this psychometric context, confirms that the measurement tool provides consistent and stable results when used to assess elder abuse.

Although the source material does not specify the exact statistical coefficients, such as Cronbach’s Alpha values for the overall scale or its subscales, the general conclusion of “good reliability” assures researchers and clinicians that the MEAS is a dependable instrument for consistent measurement and screening purposes among the elderly population in Malaysia.

Factor Analysis

The Malaysian Elder Abuse Scale (MEAS) utilizes a robust factor structure that successfully partitions the overarching construct of elder abuse into four distinct and measurable subscales. This structural determination was a key outcome of the scale’s development and validation process, ensuring the accurate assessment of different categories of maltreatment. The scale is comprised of 20 items distributed across these four empirically derived factors:

• Physical Abuse: Items dedicated to assessing direct physical harm, injury, or the use of restraint against the older person.
• Psychological Abuse: Items focused on emotional maltreatment, including verbal aggression, humiliation, intimidation, and threats.
• Financial Abuse: Items concerning the unauthorized, illegal, or improper use, taking, selling, or transferring of an elder person’s money, property, or other assets without their informed consent.
• Neglect: Items designed to measure the failure of a caregiver or responsible party to provide essential services or necessary care, leading to harm or risk of harm.

While the full 20 items cover all four factors, the sample items provided in the original study primarily illustrate the measurement of Physical, Psychological, and Financial abuse dimensions.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report screening questionnaire

Format: 20 items, primarily utilizing dichotomous (Yes/No) response options for core items related to experienced abuse.

Language Available: English (The original development context strongly suggests the existence of a validated Malay translation for local administration, though the primary published items are in English).

Population Group: Elderly individuals residing in Malaysia.

Age Group: Older adults (Geriatric population).

Population Details: The primary validation sample consisted of 590 elderly people recruited from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Test Methodology: The MEAS employs a direct questioning methodology where respondents are asked to indicate whether they have experienced specific abusive or neglectful behaviors. Scoring is achieved by calculating the total number of affirmative responses across the entire scale or within individual subscales to quantify the presence and extent of experienced abuse.

Keywords

Psychological scale, Geriatric assessment, Elder abuse assessment, University of Malaya, Psychometrics, Screening tool, WHO definition, Public health.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not provided in source)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Information not provided in source)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: The scale was developed and introduced in 2010. The primary publication detailing its psychometric properties was released in 2013.

Permissions and Fee: Specific details regarding commercial licensing or mandatory usage fees are not provided in the source documentation. Given that the MEAS was developed as an academic and public health research tool, it is likely available free of charge for non-commercial research and clinical screening purposes. The original academic publication detailing the scale and its psychometric properties is available for download in PDF format here: http://file.scirp.org/pdf/OJPsych_2013062615344464.pdf

Reference’s

• Hamid, T.A., et al. (2010) Socio demographic risk factors and correlates of dementia in older Malaysians. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 30, 533-539.
• Momtaz, Y.A., et al. (2010) Mediating effects of social and personal religiosity on the psychological well-being of widowed elderly people. OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying, 60, 145-162.
• Hamid, Tengku. Aizan., Abolfathi Momtaz,Yadollah., Ibrahim, Rahimah., et al. (2013). Development and psychometric properties of the Malaysian elder abuse scale. Open Journal of Psychiatry, 3, 283-289.

Items of the Malaysian Elder Abuse Scale (MEAS)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

The response format for these items is Yes or No.

The items are categorized as follows (Note: The full scale contains 20 items, including items for Neglect, though only 10 sample items are listed below):

• Physical abuse: Items 1, 2, 3, and 4
• Psychological abuse: Items 5, 6, 7, and 8
• Financial abuse: Items 9 and 10

1. Have you ever been tied up or locked in a room?
2. Have you ever been hit, kicked or slapped
3. Have you ever been called with insulting names?
4. Have you ever been threatened with a knife?
5. Have you ever been yelled at?
6. Have you ever been threatened with punishment?
7. Have you ever been scolded?
8. Have you ever felt that you are been stalked or followed around?
9. Have your money, property, or other assets used, taken, sold or transferred without permission?
10. Have your signature been forged on cheques or other financial documents?