Development of locomotive syndrome in elderly population after COVID-19 outbreak: A population-based cross-sectional study with over 12,000 participants

Restrictions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have decreased physical activity levels, which may result in locomotive syndrome. This study evaluated the change in locomotive syndrome prevalence and associated risk factors among an elderly population before and after a coronavirus outbreak. This written self-administered cross-sectional survey was conducted in conjunction with the coronavirus disease vaccination program in Habikino City, Japan. Participants who were aged ≥65 years completed the five-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale before and during the pandemic. The diagnosis of locomotive syndrome and its stage was based on the Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale score: stage 1 (2–3 points), 2 (4–5 points), and 3 (≥6 points). Data on lifestyle changes, including regular exercise, during the pandemic were collected. This study included 12,197 participants (36.7% of the city’s total elderly residents). The prevalence of locomotive syndrome increased from 41.3% to 47.1% after the outbreak. In total, 765 (6.3% of overall population) and 295 (9.5% of the participants who had stages 1–2 before the pandemic) participants developed locomotive syndrome and stage 3 locomotive syndrome, respectively. The multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that a decrease in exercise was significantly associated with the onset of locomotive syndrome (all stages) (odds ratio = 2.5, p