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Faculty of Graduate Studies

Sanjit Roy

  • M.S. (University of Dhaka, 2010)
  • B.Sc. Hons. (University of Dhaka, 2009)
Notice of the Final Oral Examination for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Topic

Elder Abuse Among Canadian Veterans and Non-Veterans: A Comparative Analysis of Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Perceptions of Healthy Aging Using the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

Social Dimensions of Health

Date & location

  • Thursday, August 27, 2026
  • 8:00 A.M.
  • Virtual Defence

Examining Committee

Supervisory Committee

  • Dr. Theone Paterson, Department of Psychology, University of Victoria (Supervisor)
  • Dr. Robert Beringer, School of Public Health and Social Policy, UVic (Co-Supervisor)
  • Dr. Donn Feir, Department of Economics, UVic (Outside Member)

External Examiner

  • Dr. David Burnes, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto

Chair of Oral Examination

  • Dr. Kimberly Speers, School of Public Administration, UVic

Abstract

Background: Elder abuse affects at least one in ten Canadians, making it a significant public health issue and conferring major health and psychosocial challenges. Canada’s veterans report a higher prevalence of many adverse health conditions compared to non-veterans, which places them at higher risk of being abused. However, to date, this area of research remains unexplored, and this study addresses this critical gap.

Methods: CLSA tracking cohort (TC) and comprehensive cohort (CC) data were analyzed separately using a multi-methods approach. Quantitatively, elder abuse among veterans and non-veterans was compared using four analytic approaches: a raw prevalence estimate and three propensity score analysis (PSA) techniques (radius matching, kernel matching, and propensity score weighting [PSW]). PSA is a strong technique for finding a valid control group where comprehensive data are available. Weighted logistic regression models were used to examine risk and protective factors separately for veterans and non-veterans. Qualitatively, reflexive thematic analysis was used to explore their perceptions of healthy aging and compared the findings across groups.

Results: Across both cohorts, results from all four analytic approaches found that veterans consistently demonstrated slightly lower rates of elder abuse compared to non-veterans. However, none of these differences reached conventional levels of statistical significance, which indicates that veteran status alone is not significantly associated with an increased risk of elder abuse among Canadian veterans across all abuse types. Psychological abuse was the most prevalent subtype in all groups, exceeding both physical and financial abuse, and overall abuse prevalence was higher in the CC than in the TC.

Differentiation within the veteran population was also evident. Army veterans experienced the highest prevalence of abuse across all subtypes, while Navy veterans showed the lowest. Across all groups, partners and spouses were the most common perpetrators of psychological and physical abuse, followed by adult children. Financial abuse patterns differed, with veterans more often reporting other family or non-family perpetrators and non-veterans more often reporting partners, spouses, or friends.

Elder abuse risk and protection among veterans and non-veterans across cohorts were shaped by a combination of mental health, physical and cognitive functioning, relational context, care arrangements, and broader structural conditions. While several factors were observed across groups, their associations differed depending on veteran status and cohort.

Eleven key themes qualitatively shaped perceptions of healthy aging. Veterans most frequently emphasized adaptation, coping, and mental health narratives, whereas non-veterans emphasized on relational matters, including family relationships, companionship, and broader community connectedness. Participants who experienced abuse, regardless of veteran status, emphasized health-related concerns, with a special concentration on physical and mental health narratives, while participants who did not report abuse referenced positive attitude, active lifestyle, independence, leisure, and social connectedness more consistently. Differences also appeared across cohorts.

Conclusion: By disaggregating elder abuse experiences by veteran status, service type, and CLSA cohorts, findings inform the development of evidence-based, population-specific elder abuse prevention strategies and contribute to a deeper understanding of how older Canadians veterans and non-veterans conceptualize healthy aging.

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