Sociodemographic factors associated with multidimensional health safety and security among community-dwelling older adults in Thailand: a cross-sectional study

Rapid population aging in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has posed growing challenges for maintaining the health and well-being of older adults. Multidimensional health safety and security provides a broader perspective but remain understudied. This study examined the socioeconomic determinants of health safety and security among community-dwelling older adults in Thailand. Specifically, it sought to (1) assess levels of multidimensional health safety and security, (2) examine interrelationships across domains, and (3) explore associations between sociodemographic factors and overall health safety and security. This study was a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from 377 community-dwelling older adults in Thailand. Data were collected using structured questionnaires measuring seven domains of health safety and security. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, Pearson correlation analysis, and multivariable linear regression were performed to assess associations between sociodemographic factors and overall health safety and security. Participants reported moderate to high levels of health safety and security. Strong positive correlations were found across all domains ( r = 0.70–0.84, p < 0.001), suggesting that these dimensions are closely interconnected. In contrast, most individual-level socioeconomic factors were not significantly associated with overall health safety and security, with marital status (widowed/divorced) being the only statistically significant factor. The regression model explained a relatively small proportion of variance (R² = 0.031). These findings suggest that health safety and security is shaped by complex and interconnected factors beyond individual characteristics. Given the exploratory nature of the analysis and the limited explanatory power of the regression model, the findings should be interpreted cautiously and within the context of the available individual-level variables.