To investigate the relationship between frailty and social activity of the elderly in China, and to study the influencing factors of frailty in the elderly, so as to provide scientific basis for the healthy life of the elderly.

Based on 43 health related variables in China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2018 database, the frailty index (FI) was constructed to evaluate the frailty of the elderly. Binary logistic regression was used to explore the effect of social activity on the frailty of the elderly.

A total of 1 519 elderly people aged 60 and above were included in the CHARLS 2018 database, including 401 frail elderly, with a frailty rate of 26.4%. The participation rate of the elderly in social activities was 48.5%,and there were 439 elderly people with high level of social activity, accounting for 28.9% of the total. After adjusting for confounding factors, the risk of debilitation in the elderly with high level of social activity was 41.9%, lower than that in those with medium and low level of social activity (OR=0.581, 95%CI: 0.439-0.77).

The degree of social activity affects the frailty of the elderly, and the social activity of the elderly in China is generally low. The elderly should be encouraged to participate in social activities, and attention should be paid to the older and female elderly.