The relationship between locomotive syndrome and depression in young Chinese college students.

Objectives: This study investigates the relationship between locomotive syndrome (LS) and mental disorder (depression) in young Chinese college students.

Methods: Our study population (n = 165; mean age of 19.82 ±1.90 years) comprises college student residents at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Three screening methods were used to evaluate LS: 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS-25), a two-step test, and a stand-up test. Depression was screened by the Chinese version of the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS).

Results: The prevalence of LS and depression was 20.1% and 30.9%, respectively. The LS group had lower grip strength and higher ZSDS scores than the non-LS group.

Conclusion: Young Chinese college students have a relatively high prevalence of LS, and LS and GLFS-25 scores were significantly related to depression. The present results suggest that management strategies for LS should consider depressive symptoms among young adults.