Association between locomotive syndrome and fall risk in the elderly individuals in Japan: The Yakumo study

Abstract

Background: Patients with locomotive syndrome (LS) are poor ambulatory status and a high risk of requiring nursing care. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between LS and fall risk among community-dwelling elderly individuals.

Methods: The subjects were Japanese elderly individuals aged 65 and over who participated in Yakumo study 2019 (N = 189). We defined the fall risk index 5 items version (FRI-5) ≥6 points as the fall risk group. LS was evaluated by stand-up test, two-step test, and 25-Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS-25). We divided the subjects into two groups according to the presence or absence of fall risk, and investigated factors associated with fall risk.

Results: The fall risk group (30 patients, 15.9%) had higher GLSF-25 (P = 0.001). The results of logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, BMI, and knee osteoarthritis revealed that GLFS-25 (OR: 1.052; 95%CI: 1.009-1.097) was independent factor associated with fall risk. In the ROC analysis, the optimal cut-off value of the GLFS-25 to predict fall risk was 12, which is equivalent to LS stage 1 (AUC 0.688; 95% CI: 0.588-0.787; sensitivity: 0.467, specificity: 0.836).

Conclusions: GLFS-25 was associated with fall risk among community-dwelling elderly individuals aged 65 and over.

Keywords: Fall; Fall risk; Locomotive syndrome; Yakumo study.