Characteristics of Assaulting among Elderly Associated with Hospital Mortality in Southern Thailand

This study aimed to identify characteristics of assault and its association with mortality. A total of 342 elderly samples were assaulted. The data were derived from the Injury Surveillance Database from 5 General Hospitals in upper southern Thailand, during 2008-2013, the Office of Disease Prevention and Control, 11. The data were excluded as if unknown survival status. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine associations between characteristics assaulting and mortality using the R program. It revealed that 6.43% of the elderly die. Most of the deaths were males (59.09%), aged 60-69 years (77.28%), average age was 68.54 (SD = 7.76) years. Most of them were assaulted house-outside (90.91%), a period of assaulting was between 12.01-18.00 pm (36.35%). They were unknown career (36.35%), house-wife and having no income (27.28%), pensioner, state enterprise, trading company employees (27.28%). They had external trauma(45.46%) including; blunt, stab wound, sharp object, and use of force (54.54%). Factors significantly associated with mortality were as follows: pensioner, state enterprise, trading company employee, and the elderly group were murdered, assassinated by poisoning and gunshot. These factors need to be taken into consideration when promoting caregivers to prevent elderly assault.