Introduction

Elderly abuse is a major problem in developing countries and causes complications such as reduced quality of life, increased incidence of mental diseases and even death. To evaluate the validity of a Persian version of the Vulnerability Abuse Screening Scale (VASS) in the elderly.

Material and methods

This methodological study was performed on 200 older adults (aged ≥ 60) in Iran. Measurements included the Elderly Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale (VASS), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS).

Results

The mean and standard deviation of the studied population was 68 ± 5.8 years. After applying the necessary changes in the items at the face and content validity stage, the initial reliability was confirmed in a sample of 50 elderly with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.74. The initial tool model (12-question version) was not validated in the factor analysis process, so the second tool model (9-question version) was prepared and found to have construct validity. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient in the 9-question version was 0.70, and the intra-class correlation coefficient was 0.99.

Conclusions

According to the study results, it seems that the Persian 9-question version can be used as a valid and reliable tool in the study and assessment of vulnerability to abuse in the Iranian elderly population.