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Elder abuse is an issue of great concern world‐wide, not least in Europe. Older people are increasingly vulnerable to physical, psychological, financial maltreatment and sexual coercion. However, due to complexities of measurement, psychological abuse may be underestimated. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence of psychological abuse toward older persons within a 12 month period.

The study design was cross‐sectional and data were collected during January‐July 2009 in the survey “Elder abuse: a multinational prevalence survey, ABUEL”. The participants were 4,467 randomly selected persons aged 60‐84 years (2,559 women, 57.3 per cent) from seven EU countries (Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, Sweden). The sample size was adapted to each city according to their population of women and men aged 60‐84 years (albeit representative and proportional to sex‐age). The participants answered a structured questionnaire either through a face‐to‐face interview or a mix of interview/self‐response. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and regression methods.

The prevalence of overall psychological abuse was 29.7 per cent in Sweden, followed by 27.1 per cent in Germany; 24.6 per cent in Lithuania and 21.9 per cent in Portugal. The lowest prevalence was reported in Greece, Spain and Italy with 13.2 per cent, 11.5 per cent and 10.4 per cent, respectively. Similar tendencies were observed concerning minor/severe abuse. The Northern countries (Germany, Lithuania, Sweden) compared to Southern countries (Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain) reported a higher mean prevalence (across countries) of minor/severe abuse (26.3 per cent/11.5 per cent and 12.9 per cent/5.9 per cent, respectively). Most perpetrators (71.2 per cent) were spouses/partners and other relatives (e.g. children). The regression analysis indicated that being from Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain was associated with less risk of psychological abuse. Low social support, living in rented housing, alcohol use, frequent health care use, and high scores in anxiety and somatic complaints were associated with increased risk of psychological abuse.

Psychological abuse was more prevalent in Northern than Southern countries and factors such as low social support and high anxiety levels played an important role. Further studies are warranted to investigate the prevalence of psychological abuse and risk factors among older persons in other EU countries. Particular attention should be paid to severe abuse. Such research may help policy makers and health planers/providers in tailoring interventions to tackle the ever growing problem of elder abuse.

The paper reports data from the ABUEL Survey, which collected population based data on elderly abuse.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate chronicity (frequency) in different abuse types (e.g. psychological) and overall abuse (all abuse types) by severity (minor, severe, total) in seven European cities, and scrutinize factors associated with high chronicity levels (frequency on the median and higher) in psychological and overall abuse by severity.

The study design was cross-sectional. The sample consisted of 4,467 randomly selected women/men (2,559 women) aged 60-84 years from seven European cities, and data were analysed with bivariate and multivariate methods.

Chronicity varied across country and by abuse type. For instance, Germany had the highest chronicity means in physical and sexual abuse; Greece in physical, injury, sexual and overall abuse; Lithuania in physical, injury, financial and overall abuse; Portugal in physical abuse; Spain in physical, sexual and financial abuse; and Sweden in psychological, injury, financial and overall abuse. In general, Italy had the lowest chronicity means. The main perpetrators were people close to the respondents and women (in some cases).

The independent relationship (regressions) between chronicity/severity of abuse, country and other variables (e.g. depression) was examined only for psychological and overall abuse. More research into this issue with other types of abuse (e.g. sexual) is warranted.

The paper reports data from the ABUEL survey, which gathered population-based data on elderly abuse.

The purpose of this study is to examine the occurrence, severity, chronicity, and predictors of inflicted IPV among women visiting the Forensic Services in Maputo city (Mozambique) as victims of IPV by their partner.

The study was cross‐sectional: the data were collected from 1,442 women over 12 months (consecutive cases) and were analysed with bivariate and multivariate methods.

The overall occurrence of inflicted IPV across severity (one or more types) was 69.4 percent (chronicity, mean/SD 44.8±65.8). Psychological aggression was reported by 64 percent of women (chronicity, mean/SD 23.1±32.4); physical assault by 38.2 percent (chronicity, mean/SD 10.3±24.6); sexual coercion by 39.1 percent (chronicity, mean/SD 7.2±16.2); and injuries by 22.6 percent (chronicity, mean/SD 4.2±12.4). Further, 14.5 percent (chronicity, mean/SD 140.2±86.3) of the women used all abuse types against their partners: 18.2 percent (chronicity, mean/SD 113.1±75.9) injury, and psychological and physical abuse; 14.7 percent (chronicity, mean/SD 64.9±64.3) injury, and physical and sexual abuse; 16.3 percent (chronicity, mean/SD 94.1±57.2) injury, and psychological and sexual abuse; and 24.9 percent (chronicity, mean/SD 99.5±72) psychological, physical, and sexual abuse. Controlling behaviours, co‐occurring perpetration, abuse as a child, and certain types of own victimization were the more important factors associated with the inflicted abuse.

More research into women's experiences of IPV as perpetrators, particularly in relation to co‐occurring inflicted abuse, control, and abuse as a child, is warranted in Sub‐Saharan Africa. An important limitation here is the lack of a control group (e.g. general population).

The present findings may be useful for the development of strategies to prevent/treat IPV in Mozambique.

In spite of its limitations, the current study may have provided new insights into women's use of violence against their partners.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between child sexual abuse and sexual risk behaviours as well as its potential mediators.

This cross-sectional study used data from a cross-sectional study from 12,800 women between 15 and 49 years of age included in the 2008 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to assess the association between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and sexual risk behaviours.

The authors found that CSA was directly associated with sexual risk behaviours. In addition, the association between CSA and sexual risk behaviour was also partially mediated by alcohol and cigarette use.

The results show that being abused in childhood is important for the subsequent development of sexual risk behaviours in adulthood and the association is mediated by alcohol and cigarette use.

The results may be helpful for policy makers and health care planners in designing cultural sensitive public health intervention that will reduce the burden of CSA, its long-term effects (sexual risk behaviours) and intervening mediators that increase the risks.

These findings suggest that to reduce sexual risks, interventions to address sexual abuse needs to include other social problems (smoking, alcohol) that victims result to when faced with trauma.

The current study is the only one so far in sub-Saharan Africa to have explored the relation between CSA and sexual risk behaviours using SEM.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate socio-economic inequalities in the use, accessibility and satisfaction with health services amongst 60-84 year old people from seven European urban communities.

Data for this study were collected in 2009. The target population was people aged 60-84 years from Stuttgart (Germany), Athens (Greece), Ancona (Italy), Kaunas (Lithuania), Porto (Portugal), Granada (Spain) and Stockholm (Sweden). The total sample comprised 4,467 respondents with a mean response rate across these countries of 45.2 per cent.

The study demonstrated that the majority of respondents had contact with a health care provider within the last 12 months. The highest percentages were reported by respondents from Spain (97.8 per cent) and Portugal (97.7 per cent). The results suggest that 13.0 per cent of respondents had refrained from seeking care services. The highest rates were amongst seniors from Lithuania (24.0 per cent), Germany (16.2 per cent) and Portugal (15.4 per cent). Logistic regression suggests that seniors who refrained from seeking health care was statistically significant associated with those with higher levels of education (odds ratios (OR)=1.21; 95 per cent confidence intervals (CI)=1.01-1.25) and financial strain (OR=1.26; 95 per cent CI=1.16-1.37). Furthermore, the majority of respondents were satisfied with health care services.

The findings from the “Elder Abuse: a multinational prevalence survey” study indicate the existence of significant variations in use, accessibility and satisfaction with health services by country and for socio-economic factors related to organizing and financing of care systems.

The purpose of this paper is to examine differences in the experience of somatic symptoms by domain (exhaustion, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, heart distress) between psychologically abused and non-abused older persons, and to scrutinize associations between abuse and somatic symptoms while considering other factors (e.g. social support).

The design was cross-sectional. The participants were 4,467 women/men aged 60-84 years living in seven European cities. The data were analysed using bivariate/multivariate methods.

Psychologically abused participants scored higher on all somatic symptom domains than non-abused, and thus were more affected by the symptoms. The regressions confirmed a positive association between psychological abuse and most somatic symptom domains, but other factors (e.g. depression, anxiety) were more salient. Demographics/socio-economics were positively (e.g. marriage/cohabitation) or negatively (e.g. education) associated with somatic symptoms depending on the domain. Social support and family structure “protected” the experience of somatic symptoms.

The research focused on psychological abuse. It did not incorporate other abuse types calling for further research on the effects of other abuse types on somatic symptoms. Nevertheless, the findings indicate that psychological abuse is linked to somatic symptoms, but the role of other factors (e.g. depression, anxiety, social support) is also important.

Improvements in the older person's situation regarding somatic symptoms need to consider psychological abuse, co-morbidities, social support and living conditions.

The paper reports data from the ABUEL Survey, which collected population-based data on elder abuse.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate differences in victimization among single and married mothers using data (n=6,388 women) from the 2006 Stockholm County Public Health Survey (SCPHS), a cross‐sectional survey based on a self‐administered postal questionnaire.

Results showed higher odds of victimization among lone mothers compared to married ones. Additionally, the greatest odds of victimization were observed among those with low education, low income, and decreased social and practical support.

In Sweden, particularly in Stockholm, there is a need for future population‐based surveys regarding the prevalence of violence and to identify high risk groups. Furthermore, it is crucial that these surveys include items that will enable investigation of direct links between violence and health effects, and the utilization of health care for these women.

This paper is original and it addresses for the first time violence among single mothers within a social epidemiology perspective.

The present study’s goal is to assess the effect of a serious game on the development of entrepreneurial competence, self-efficacy and intention and thereby contribute to clarifying the usefulness of this approach in entrepreneurship education.

The study sample and method included 76 graduate students, selected through a convenience sampling technique and collected through a self-administered questionnaire. To examine the impact of the gaming session, a pre-test post-test design approach was employed. Consequently, all students completed a survey both at the beginning and end of the gaming session.

Our study found that game-based learning effectively enhances students' entrepreneurial competence, particularly in areas like generating ideas, managing resources and taking action, while also boosting self-efficacy. However, it didn't significantly impact entrepreneurial intentions. The effectiveness depends on students' prior gaming experience, especially in resource management and taking action. Additionally, it positively influences women's self-efficacy more than men. The field of study also plays a role, with design students showing notable development in idea generation, entrepreneurial intentions, and self-efficacy. Overall, game-based learning is a valuable tool for entrepreneurship education, but its effects vary based on prior experience, gender and field of study.

Several limitations of the study should be considered. First, the small sample size acquired through convenience sampling and the potential for social response bias, even with respondent anonymity, could limit the generalizability of the study's findings. Second, the study recognizes that the effectiveness of a serious game is greatly influenced by the game's design, making findings from studies with different game-based learning approaches potentially different. Lastly, the impact of student interactions during the game session was not evaluated.

The study's practical implications are significant. It demonstrates the effectiveness of game-based learning in cultivating entrepreneurial competence and self-efficacy, particularly benefiting women and design students. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating serious games (SG) into entrepreneurship education to nurture vital entrepreneurial competences essential for students' career development as entrepreneurs or employees. The study encourages the development of SG tailored for use in entrepreneurship classes. Additionally, it underscores the need to educate educators about the advantages of incorporating game-based learning into their teaching strategies, offering a practical pathway to enhance entrepreneurship education and better prepare students for the modern job market.

The study's social implications are substantial. It highlights the effectiveness of game-based learning in nurturing entrepreneurial competence and self-efficacy, particularly benefiting women and design students. This underscores the importance of integrating Serious Games (SG) into entrepreneurship education, emphasizing the need for more SG tailored for use in entrepreneurship classes. Furthermore, it calls for increased awareness among educators about the advantages of incorporating game-based learning into their teaching methods. Ultimately, these findings have the potential to positively impact students' career development, whether as entrepreneurs or employees, by equipping them with crucial entrepreneurial skills.

This study brings a novel perspective in three distinct ways. Firstly, it centers on the pivotal entrepreneurial competences outlined in the EntreComp framework by the European Commission, addressing the challenge of identifying which competences are most relevant for entrepreneurial education. By doing so, it ensures a focus on competence areas critical for entrepreneurs, such as ideas and opportunities, resources, and action. Secondly, it explores the impact of game experience on the development of entrepreneurial competences, entrepreneurial intention, and self-efficacy, a relationship hitherto unexplored. Thirdly, the study examines how students' demographic and contextual characteristics influence the development of entrepreneurial competence, intention, and self-efficacy through a game-based learning approach. These unique perspectives contribute valuable empirical data to both theory and practice in the field of entrepreneurship education.

The article aims at analyzing the social representations of retirement in two different groups of professors – pre-retired and retired – from a public higher education institution. The goal is to explore the experiences, reflections, beliefs, and attitudes originated from the transition to retirement.

The research, of exploratory and descriptive nature, was guided by the Social Representation Theory (SRT) and took a qualitative approach. 16 professors were interviewed, 8 in each group (pre-retired and retired professors), using semi-structured interviews that followed a script designed to discover the main aspects of the transition to retirement.

Three figurative cores were raised – the financial aspect, the centrality of work, and the will to continue contributing, and the unpreparedness for retirement – and testimonies have shown heterogeneous representations. The study observed that although relevant, the bonus for continued services is not the main determinant for professors to continue working in the university.

The results of this study indicate the need to treat retirement as a complex and multidimensional process, offering a fresh perspective on the social representations of retirement in the academic context. The use of the Social Representation Theory to explore these perspectives adds to the originality of the approach, highlighting the multifaceted nature of the retirement process in this specific professional group.

The customer as an active and engaged value co-creator raises new challenges for theory and practice, especially in the hospitality industry. However, the connection between engagement and co-creation is little studied in the hotel/tourism literature. This paper proposes a connection between customer engagement (CE) and value co-creation frameworks to ascertain and depict the internal actors' activities and factors that foster or hinder guests' co-creation and destruction of value.

The researchers used qualitative methods (35 in-depth interviews, document analysis and four observation sessions) in seven regions of Ghana to explore the customer's perspective. Data were analyzed with NVivo11 within a thematic analysis framework.

The findings suggest that positive and negative engagement fosters or hinders guests' interactions, which lead to value co-creation or destruction. The research also discovered that negative interactions occasioned by any factor or actor trigger value destruction at multiple stages of the experience journey.

Industry players can use the framework developed to assess their businesses, explore and reflect on the proposed value they aim to generate, and thus be more aware of how they can better facilitate value co-creation with their consumers and avoid value destruction.

This research proposes a novel connection between customer interactions, engagement and value co-creation to ascertain and depict the internal actors' activities and factors that foster or hinder customers' experience in the hotel/tourism industry.