Locomotive syndrome is a condition of reduced mobility, and patients have a high risk of requiring nursing care. In order to investigate the level of awareness of the term "locomotive syndrome" and the factors relating to awareness in a community, awareness of locomotive syndrome was included in a questionnaire survey on health and daily life conducted in Koumi Town (Japan), which was distributed to 3181 eligible residents aged 40 years or older. Information on age, sex, marital status, educational attainment, lifestyle, and social environment was also collected, and the association of awareness with various factors was analyzed with two multivariable Poisson regression models. As a result, awareness among respondents was 44.6%. Awareness was significantly higher among women, those who were 60-79 years old, married, and had received higher education. Additionally, awareness was significantly associated with social factors, especially attendance at regional events within the last one year, in both women and men: the adjusted prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 1.26 (1.10-1.43) and 1.48 (1.19-1.83), respectively. In conclusion, in addition to strengthen awareness rising campaigns targeting men and for younger people, providing health education at social settings such as regional events may help improve future musculoskeletal health in the elderly.
Keywords: community based study; cross-sectional study; elderly health; locomotive syndrome; preventive care.