Frailty Prevalence and Related Factors among Older Adults in the Republic of Korea and the Need for Tailored Community-based Frailty Prevention Strategies.
- 1Division of Chronic Disease Control, Department of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Cheongju Korea.
- 2Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University Jinju Korea.
Abstract
Objectives: This study proposes tailored, local government-centered frailty prevention strategies that emphasize early frailty management in a super-aged society and consider sociodemographic characteristics, as well as domestic and international cases. Methods: National statistics, including the National Survey of Older Koreans and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, as well as domestic and international policy and project reports, were comprehensively reviewed to assess frailty prevalence and current public health center programs. Results: Frailty and pre-frailty prevalence among older adults aged ≥65 were 4.6% and 32.2%, respectively, with clear differences across sociodemographic characteristics such as sex, age, residential environment, and household type. Frailty shows "reversible dynamics" responsive to intervention, and preventive programs have demonstrated effectiveness in international settings and in some domestic local governments in the Republic of Korea. However, current public health center programs focus mainly on vulnerable groups, limiting early risk detection because they lack standardized manuals and regional, data-based response systems. Conclusions: Based on national institutional support from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, including frailty surveys and standardized manuals, local governments should strengthen their capacity to implement guidelines and deliver region-specific programs. In addition, an effective frailty prevention framework requires a supportive community environment, public-private collaboration among resident volunteers and welfare/medical systems, and a sustainable follow-up management system.
Related
- Prevalence-Aware Networks of Social Activity and Community Facility Use Among Older Adults in the Republic of Korea: Comparisons by Age, Residence, and Sex.
- Community-tailored One Health educational intervention to enhance knowledge and practices for zoonotic disease prevention in rural Thailand: A protocol for a prospective cluster randomised controlled Trial in Chanthaburi, Thailand (Saan Suk trial)
- Effectiveness of community-based care pathways and relapse prevention strategies in schizophrenia: a systematic review and bibliometric analysis
- From community diagnosis to policy dialogue: co-creating childhood obesity prevention strategies in rural and urban Portugal
- Low Prevalence of HIV-1 Antiretroviral Resistance Among Patients Experiencing Virological Failure on Dolutegravir-Based Regimens: A Prospective Cohort Study in Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo
BibTeX
@article{hwang2026frailty,
title = {{Frailty Prevalence and Related Factors among Older Adults in the Republic of Korea and the Need for Tailored Community-based Frailty Prevention Strategies.}},
author = {Insob Hwang and Kwangsuk Park and Ki-Soo Park and Youmi Kim},
journal = {Public health weekly report},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.56786/phwr.2026.19.41suppl.1},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42968975},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Frailty Prevalence and Related Factors among Older Adults in the Republic of Korea and the Need for Tailored Community-based Frailty Prevention Strategies.
AU - Insob Hwang
AU - Kwangsuk Park
AU - Ki-Soo Park
AU - Youmi Kim
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - Public health weekly report
DO - 10.56786/phwr.2026.19.41suppl.1
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42968975
AB - Objectives: This study proposes tailored, local government-centered frailty prevention strategies that emphasize early frailty management in a super-aged society and consider sociodemographic characteristics, as well as domestic and international cases. Methods: National statistics, including the National Survey of Older Koreans and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, as well as domestic and international policy and project reports, were comprehensively reviewed to assess frailty prevalence and current public health center programs. Results: Frailty and pre-frailty prevalence among older adults aged ≥65 were 4.6% and 32.2%, respectively, with clear differences across sociodemographic characteristics such as sex, age, residential environment, and household type. Frailty shows "reversible dynamics" responsive to intervention, and preventive programs have demonstrated effectiveness in international settings and in some domestic local governments in the Republic of Korea. However, current public health center programs focus mainly on vulnerable groups, limiting early risk detection because they lack standardized manuals and regional, data-based response systems. Conclusions: Based on national institutional support from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, including frailty surveys and standardized manuals, local governments should strengthen their capacity to implement guidelines and deliver region-specific programs. In addition, an effective frailty prevention framework requires a supportive community environment, public-private collaboration among resident volunteers and welfare/medical systems, and a sustainable follow-up management system.
SN - 3092-491X
SN - 2586-0860
ER -