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.