Associations Between Social Isolation and Physical Frailty in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The emergence of COVID-19 has drastically changed our daily lives.1 Lockdowns were imposed across many countries for extended periods of time during the pandemic to reduce the risk of infection.1 However, the side effects of lockdowns included loss of opportunities to socialize and interact with other people. Social isolation and its impacts on health have since been highlighted, especially among high-risk populations of older people.1 Social isolation has been well documented as a significant risk factor of mortality, and has also been shown to be associated with poorer physical and mental health.