Structural and sociocultural determinants of older adult abuse in Nigeria: a qualitative phenomenological study

Older adult abuse is a significant yet underreported public health and human rights concern globally, with particularly severe consequences in low- and middle-income countries across sub-Saharan Africa. In Nigeria, structural vulnerabilities, weakening social support systems, and entrenched cultural norms create conditions in which older adults face heightened risk of mistreatment. This study investigated the structural and sociocultural factors facilitating older adult abuse in Nigeria and examined its consequences, with specific implications for social work practice. A qualitative interpretive phenomenological approach was employed. Twenty-five community dwelling older adults (15 women, 10 men; aged 62–83 years) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, who had experienced one or more forms of abuse, were purposively recruited. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews lasting 45–60 min and analysed using inductive thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase framework. Four themes emerged: (1) perceptions of old age (2), factors facilitating older adult abuse (3), consequences of abuse, and (4) the way forward and implications for social work. Physical, financial, emotional abuses were the types of abuse experienced while key structural factors included changing societal trends, erosion of cultural values and norms, poverty, inadequate formal support structures, and poor welfare provisions. Consequences of this abuse included physical injury, financial deprivation, deterioration in health, and mental health challenges including depression, suicidal ideation, and in some cases death. Older adult abuse in Nigeria is driven by intersecting structural, economic, and sociocultural factors that demand urgent, coordinated, and multisectoral intervention. Social workers are uniquely positioned to address these challenges through advocacy, policy engagement, and community-based practice. Robust legal and policy frameworks, consistently enforced, are essential to safeguarding the dignity and wellbeing of older adults in Nigeria.