Background: Fear of falling (FoF) in the elderly is one of the major public health concerns in this era of aging of the population. As there is limited evidence on how cognitive function may differ by social support level in relation to FoF among the elderly, this cross-sectional study aims to investigate the prevalence of FoF and the associations between cognitive impairment and FoF by the social support level, after adjustments for potential confounders. Methods: Data from the “Health needs assessment of elderly in Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam in 2018” survey of 725 elderly aged 60 years or older were used for analysis. FoF was assessed using the Fall Efficacy Scale-International. High FoF was defined as a score above 28. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support was used to measure the perception of support. Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between cognitive function and FoF by social support levels (p < 0.05). Results: The prevalence of high FoF among the elderly was 40.8%. Female gender, advanced age, a marital status of single or formerly married, living alone, history of injury, history of falls, chronic diseases (arthritis and/or hypertension), limitations of the IADL and BADL, visual difficulty and walking difficulty, low social support, and cognitive impairment were all significantly associated with a high FoF. After adjustments for the age, gender, marital status, history of falls and health-related factors, cognitive impairment remained significantly associated with a high FoF among the elderly with a low to moderate social support level (OR = 2.97, 95% CI 1.49–5.89), but not in those with a high social support level. Conclusions: A high FoF was associated with impairment of cognitive function among the elderly who perceived themselves as having low or moderate support levels, even after adjustments for socio demographic and physical functional factors. However, this association was not observed among the elderly who perceived themselves as having high social support levels. Fall prevention programs for the elderly with various levels of social support should be carefully devised, keeping in mind the cognitive function levels of the target recipients.

In modern Asian societies, there has been a shift in the living arrangements of older adults away from living with others. Knowing the health characteristics of individuals living alone can help identify high-risk groups. This cross-sectional study aimed to describe characteristics of the Vietnamese older adults and to investigate the association between living alone and their reported health outcomes by utilizing survey data of individuals aged ≥60 years in Vietnam in 2018. The community survey included questions about sociodemographic factors, living arrangement, and self-reported physical functional status. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine whether or not living alone was a predictor of health outcomes. Of 725 study participants, 8.9% lived alone. These participants were more likely to be female, aged 70–79 years, living in rural areas, and currently single or previously married. After adjusting for covariates, older adults who were living alone were more likely to have arthritis (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10–3.45), a history of falling (AOR = 2.44, 95% CI: 1.02–5.82), visual difficulties (AOR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.04–3.41), feelings of loneliness (AOR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.10–3.47), and high fear of falling (AOR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.02–3.46). Older adults living alone in Vietnam were at greater risk of negative health consequences than those living with others. Screening and providing adequate social support for this specific population is important in preventing the adverse effects of solitary living among these older adults.

Background: Intermediate Care (IMC) provides intensive rehabilitation to prevent long-term disability among partially dependent individuals. Demand for IMC in Thailand is rising, yet governance frameworks remain underdeveloped. The Seamless Health and Social Services Provision for Elderly Persons (S-TOP) project, a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) pilot, aimed to strengthen IMC governance by improving service delivery for older adults. Purpose: To explore and compare the governance models of IMC in two pilot sites in Thailand from the viewpoints of health and social service providers. Methodology/Approach: We explored IMC governance within JICA pilot sites through a qualitative comparative case design. We gathered data from 13 in-depth interviews, site visits, and document reviews. Using thematic analysis, we compared different governance patterns from the provider’s perspective to understand how local contexts shape implementation, transdisciplinary teamwork, and overall governance. Findings: Two distinct governance models emerged, both perceived by stakeholders as having achieved integration of health and social care. The lead organization model enabled direct service creation and flexible resource allocation, while the shared governance model leveraged strong health care networks and community altruism to coordinate care within the national framework. Despite differing in seniority structures, with one based on position and the other on age, both models enhanced service accessibility and promoted health equity through tailored, community-based systems. Conclusions: Community-based IMC governance succeeds when aligned with local structural and cultural contexts. The integration of health and social care requires adaptable mechanisms, whether through local government leadership or collaborative health care networks, while respecting culturally embedded decision-making norms. Practice Implications: The lead organization model suits decentralized settings with strong local government. The shared governance model suits centralized settings with robust health care networks and cultural assets like age-based seniority and altruism. Health administrators should cultivate transdisciplinary teams that integrate professional expertise with community knowledge and respect local decision-making norms.

Background: With the influx of data, researchers, public health specialists and policymakers have been able to monitor disease trends and evaluate health services worldwide. However, in the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, the current circumstances around data availability and related issues are not widely discussed. Objectives: This study will review and compare the availability, accessibility and ownership of nationally representative individual-level quantitative health-related datasets in the ASEAN countries. Moreover, the author affiliation patterns of the first, last and corresponding authors of relevant articles will also be reviewed. Methodology: A scoping review will be conducted via a literature review and a website search. Relevant literature will be identified through the PubMed search engine and screened using the Covidence software. The websites of governmental and international organisations, as well as institutional data repositories, will be screened. The data extraction will be carried out in a pre-structured framework in an Excel sheet. The extracted data will be analysed using a content analysis approach. The review protocol was registered on Open Science Framework with registration Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/4T8AK. Ethical consideration: As this review will only collect data from published literature, no ethical approval is required. Dissemination plan: The findings will be published in an international journal and be disseminated at public health conferences and workshops. Duration of the study: August 2024 to April 2025.