Violence, Inequity, and Their Impact on Health and Access to Healthcare Services Among the Elderly Population of Bogotá

Objective: This study explores the prevalence of violence and forced displacement as indicators of inequity among Bogotá’s elderly population, with a particular focus on how these factors affect their health and access to healthcare services. Methods: This is a subsidiary analysis of the SABE-Bogotá survey. The design was a probabilistic cluster sample of 2000 people aged 60 and over. The study was carried out by the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana’s Institute on Aging and cosponsored by Colciencias. The variables of interest were displacement and experiences of violence, assessed through self-reporting. A descriptive analysis of all variables was performed, calculating simple frequency distributions. Subsequently, dependency and association analyses were performed using Chi-square, T-tests, and multivariate logistic regressions, depending on each case. Results: 43.32% of the subjects were victims of some type of violence in the last year, among which offensive language was one of the most frequent. Individuals with severe depression (OR 2.10 [1.21–3.65]) and those who had been victims of displacement (OR 2.55, CI 95% [1.65–3.95]) had the highest risk of violence. The results reveal a direct correlation between these experiences and pre-existing health conditions. For instance, severe depression and a history of displacement were associated with a higher risk of experiencing violence, while the risk of displacement was higher among individuals with diabetes, severe depression, and, crucially, those who lacked access to health insurance. Conclusion: A high percentage of the elderly population in the city of Bogotá has been victims of different types of violence, including ones related to armed conflict and forced displacement, which is a particular and exclusive form of violence suffered by this group of people. These findings suggest that violence and displacement are social determinants of health that exacerbate inequities, underscoring the need for more inclusive health policies and improved access to medical care for this vulnerable population.