TY  - EJOU
AU  - Li, Jiahan 
AU  - Zhou, You 
AU  - Yuan, Lei 
AU  - Yang, Jie 

TI  - Employment and frailty among older adults: The mediating role of emotional support and the moderating role of physical activity
T2  - Journal of Psychology in Africa

PY  - 
VL  - 
IS  - 
SN  - 1815-5626

AB  -  <b>Background:</b> Frailty is a common geriatric condition. Employment, as an important social activity for older adults, may be closely related to their frailty status. However, the association between employment and frailty among older adults remains understudied. <b>Methods:</b> Data were derived from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) dataset, involving 6161 older adults (age: M = 69.378, SD = 6.875; 49.619% female). PROCESS analysis was used to test the association between employment and frailty, as well as the mediating role of emotional support and the moderating role of physical activity. <b>Results:</b> First, employment was significantly associated with lower frailty levels among older adults. Second, emotional support mediated the association between employment and frailty. Third, physical activity moderated the relationship between emotional support and frailty, as higher physical activity strengthened their negative association. <b>Conclusion:</b> These findings align with activity theory, which posits that successful aging depends on maintaining a high level of activity engagement. These findings have notable practical implications for addressing frailty among older adults and promoting the progress of productive aging.
KW  - Employment; frailty; emotional support; physical activity; older adults

DO  - 10.32604/jpa.2026.079263