Social frailty and related social vulnerabilities among older adults in the Philippines: A narrative review.

OBJECTIVES

To synthesize the evidence on social frailty among older adults in the Philippines, with attention to sociocultural and structural determinants, assessment approaches, and policy and program responses, and to derive implications for nursing practice and research.

METHODS

A narrative review with scoping elements was informed by the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (SANRA), with selected PRISMA-ScR items used to enhance reporting transparency. Electronic searches of PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar identified peer-reviewed and relevant verifiable discussion papers written in English from January 2015 to December 2025 (final search: 5 January 2026). The search, title, and abstract screening, full-text review, and data extraction were performed independently by two reviewers, with disagreements resolved through consensus. Eligible studies focused on community-dwelling Filipinos aged ≥60 years and examined social frailty or closely related constructs, including social networks, participation, support, isolation, loneliness, and social determinants of health and functioning. Data were synthesized thematically using Bunt et al.'s four domains of social frailty.

RESULTS

Thirty-five studies were included, most using qualitative or cross-sectional designs. Evidence clustered in the domains of general resources and social behavior activities, particularly access, participation, mobility, disaster related disruption, and emerging digital engagement. Fewer studies addressed social resources and self-management abilities. Family, kinship, and faith-based networks, and community organization were important protective systems, but were increasingly strained by migration, economic insecurity, service limitations, and environmental disruption.

CONCLUSIONS

Social frailty among older Filipinos emerges at the intersection of structural disadvantage, changing informal support systems, community participation, digital access, and self-management capacities. Addressing social frailty requires multidimensional assessment, culturally grounded measurement, and coordinated nursing, community and policy responses.