Citation

Romli MH, Tan MP, Mackenzie L, Lovarini M, Suttanon P, Clemson L. Public Health 2017; 145: 96-112.

Affiliation

Discipline of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Cumberland Campus, University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2141, Australia. Electronic address: lindy.clemson@sydney.edu.au.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.puhe.2016.12.035

PMID

28359399

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The older population in the Southeast Asian region is accelerating and is expected to surpass the proportion of the ageing population in North America and Europe in the future. This study aims to identify the research literature related to falls among older people in Southeast Asia, to examine current practice and discuss the future direction on falls prevention and interventions in the region. STUDY DESIGN: A scoping review design was used.

METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted using the Medline, CINAHL, AMED, Ageline, PsycINFO, Web of Sciences, Scopus, Thai-Journal Citation Index, MyCite and trial registries databases.

RESULTS: Thirty-seven studies and six study protocols were included, from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. One-sixth of the studies involved interventions, while the remainder were observational studies. The observational studies mainly determined the falls risk factors. The intervention studies comprised multifactorial interventions and single interventions such as exercises, educational materials and visual correction. Many of the studies replicated international studies and may not have taken into account features unique to Southeast Asia.

CONCLUSION: Our review has revealed studies evaluating falls and management of falls in the Southeast Asian context. More research is required from all Southeast Asian countries to prepare for the future challenges of managing falls as the population ages.

Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Aged; Community; Cross-cultural; Developing countries; Falls; Injuries