Frailty is Linked to Lower Subjective Life Expectancy in Korean Middle-Aged and Older Adults

While Socioemotional Selectivity Theory suggests that individuals perceive their remaining time as limited with age, this perception may vary with health. This study examined differences in subjective life expectancy (SLE) between frail and non-frail middle-aged and older adults in South Korea across age groups. A cross-sectional sample was drawn from Wave 1 of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. Propensity score matching produced two comparable groups (749 frail and 749 non-frail) with no significant demographic differences. Using the matched sample ( N = 1,498), multiple linear regression models were conducted. Results showed that frailty was negatively associated with SLE ( B = −17.48, p < .001), with the frailty–age interaction showing more pronounced effects in younger-old than mid-old ( B = 18.03, p < .001) and oldest-old groups ( B = 21.52, p < .001). These findings underscore the importance of both physical and psychological interventions targeting frailty to improve SLE in aging populations.