The Thai-Home Fall Hazard Assessment Tool (Thai-HFHAT) was developed to identify the fall risk among the elderly arising from their home environment. However, it is more time consuming for large items. Therefore, this study developed a short-form of Thai-HFHAT (Thai-HFHAT-SF). In phase I, we developed the Thai-HFHAT-SF by performing a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of 450 rural elderly people. In phase II, a total of 105 participants; 50 elderly people, 50 caregivers, and 5 village health volunteers (VHV) were recruited to examine the reliability of the Thai-HFHAT-SF. Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to analyze the inter-rater and test–retest reliability. Factor analysis selected 28 out of the 69 original Thai-HFHAT items in 4 components: indoor area, garage, outdoor areas, and risky spots/areas including pets. The factor loading was 0.67, 0.60, 0.32, and 0.31 in each component. The fitness index indicated that this model was fit (χ²/df = 1.38, goodness-of-fit Index (GFI) = 0.988, adjusted goodness-of-fit index (AGFI) = 0.970, standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = 0.030, and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.029). The inter-rater reliability of the Thai-HFHAT-SF was 0.82 (95% CI: 0.71–0.89). The test–retest reliability was 0.77 (95% CI: 0.60–0.87) for the older person group, 0.85 (95% CI: 0.73–0.91) for the caregiver group, and 0.60 (95% CI: 0.29–0.77) for the VHV group. The new 28-item scale focused on home fall hazards and can be conducted in 10–15 min. Thai-HFHAT-SF is suitable for home hazards assessment among elderly in Thailand.

The purpose of this study was to determine the need for research training among nurses and health professionals in a rural province of Thailand and to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions designed to address the identified factors. This two-phase study used a cross-sectional design with one-group pre- and post-tests. In phase I, 149 subjects from 16 subdistrict health promoting hospitals and one district hospital were sampled. As an intervention, an academic-practice team approach to research capacity building was designed. Twenty-four volunteers completed a three-time point assessment of intervention in phase II. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires and analyzed using bivariate and multivariate statistics. Phase-I results indicated that 33.6% of subjects were involved in the research implementation. They had a moderate perception of research barriers and capacity. The research experiences, capacity, and barriers associated with the research implementation were described in detail (p < 0.05). The only positive predictor of research implementation was research training (p < 0.001). The intervention improved 24 participants’ competency (p < 0.05). Most of their research proposals had received ethics approval and a small grant. These findings highlight the efforts of innovative research capacity development and its impact on research and health practices among nurses and health professionals.

Background: The 44-question Thai Home Fall Hazard Assessment Tool (Thai-HFHAT) was developed to assist healthcare professionals in identifying the risk of falls among community-dwelling older adults from their home environment. However, the reliability of this tool has not been studied. This study aimed to examine the reliability of the 44-question Thai-HFHAT and determine the demographic characteristics associated with home hazards. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to evaluate inter-rater reliability. The participants in this study were 51 older people from various types of Thai houses: a one-story elevated house, a one-story non-elevated house, and a house with two or more floors, 51 caregivers of older patients, and 5 village health volunteers (VHV). A prospective design was used to evaluate test-retest reliability with older people at different times in their homes. All participants answered 44 Thai-HFHAT questions to determine inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities. The reliabilities were analyzed using an intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Demographic characteristics including sex, occupation, and education were used to identify the factors affecting home hazards, and linear regression was used to analyze. Results: The ICC of inter-rater reliability of the 44-question Thai-HFHAT was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.57-0.84) and the test-retest reliability was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.64-0.88) for the older adults, 0.80 (95% CI: 0.65-0.89) for the caregivers and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.477-0.83) for the VHV. In demographic variables, personal business career and education level (grades 1-3) had significant relations with the total number of home hazards in the 44-questions Thai-HFHAT. Conclusions: The 44-question Thai-HFHAT is suitable for home hazard assessment among older adults in Thailand. Further studies are needed to investigate changes in the house environment after using the 44-question Thai-HFHAT to determine which changes can reduce fall risk.

Background: The 44-question Thai Home Fall Hazard Assessment Tool (Thai-HFHAT) was developed to assist healthcare professionals in identifying the risk of falls among community-dwelling older adults from their home environment. However, the reliability of this tool has not been studied. This study aimed to examine the reliability of the 44-question Thai-HFHAT and determine the demographic characteristics associated with home hazards. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to evaluate inter-rater reliability. The participants in this study were 51 older people from various types of Thai houses: a one-story elevated house, a one-story non-elevated house, and a house with two or more floors, 51 caregivers of older patients, and 5 village health volunteers (VHV). A prospective design was used to evaluate test-retest reliability with older people at different times in their homes. All participants answered 44 Thai-HFHAT questions to determine inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities. The reliabilities were analyzed using an intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Demographic characteristics including sex, occupation, and education were used to identify the factors affecting home hazards, and linear regression was used to analyze. Results: The ICC of inter-rater reliability of the 44-question Thai-HFHAT was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.57-0.84) and the test-retest reliability was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.64-0.88) for the older adults, 0.80 (95% CI: 0.65-0.89) for the caregivers and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.477-0.83) for the VHV. In demographic variables, personal business career and education level (grades 1-3) had significant relations with the total number of home hazards in the 44-questions Thai-HFHAT. Conclusions: The 44-question Thai-HFHAT is suitable for home hazard assessment among older adults in Thailand. Further studies are needed to investigate changes in the house environment after using the 44-question Thai-HFHAT to determine which changes can reduce fall risk.

Falls are a major health concern for older adults, often leading to injuries and reduced independence. This study develops and evaluates a mobile application integrating two validated fall-risk assessment tools—the Stay Independent Brochure (SIB) and the 44-question Thai Home Falls Hazards Assessment Tool (Thai-HFHAT). The app utilizes a cloud-based architecture with a relational database for real-time analytics and user tracking. In Phase 1, 30 healthcare professionals assessed the app’s technical performance and user experience using a modified System Usability Scale (SUS), achieving a high usability score of 85.2. In Phase 2, 67 older adults used the app for self-assessment, with test–retest reliability evaluated over one week. The app showed strong reliability, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of 0.80 for the SIB (Thai-version) and 0.77 for the Thai-HFHAT. Cloud-hosted analytics revealed significant correlations between fall occurrences and both SIB (r = 0.657, p < 0.001) and Thai-HFHAT scores (r = 0.709, p < 0.001), demonstrating the app’s predictive validity. The findings confirm the app’s effectiveness as a self-assessment tool for fall-risk screening among older adults, combining clinical validity with high usability. The integration of culturally adapted tools into a cloud-supported platform demonstrates the value of informatics in geriatric care. Future studies should focus on expanding the app’s reach, incorporating AI-driven risk prediction, enhancing interoperability with electronic health records (EHRs), and improving long-term user engagement to maximize its impact in community settings.

Locomotive syndrome (LS) predisposes older adults to falls and functional dependency. In older adults with LS, the validity of the Lower Quarter Y Balance Test (YBT-LQ)—a dynamic balance assessment tool—remains unclear. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the convergent validity of the YBT-LQ with the Two-Step and Timed Up and Go (TUG) tests and compare YBT-LQ performance between individuals with and without LS. Sixty Thai community-dwelling older adults (≥60 years) were equally divided into LS and non-LS groups and performed the YBT-LQ, Two-Step test, and TUG test. Correlation analyses and independent t-tests assessed relationships and between-group comparisons, respectively. The YBT-LQ exhibited moderate positive correlations with the Two-Step test (r = 0.366, p = 0.004) and moderate negative correlations with the TUG test (r = −0.412, p = 0.001). The LS group exhibited significantly lower YBT-LQ scores across all reach directions than the non-LS group (p < 0.05), highlighting impaired balance in individuals with LS. The YBT-LQ is a valid and reliable tool for assessing dynamic balance and postural control, as well as identifying multidirectional stability deficits in older adults, particularly those with LS. Implementing the YBT-LQ in routine geriatric evaluations could enhance early detection and targeted interventions to reduce fall risk and improve mobility in aging populations.