Association between restricted outings and geriatric locomotive function scale score in the general elderly population during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background

Restrictions in daily activities due to coronavirus infection countermeasures reduced opportunities for physical activity and social participation in people of all ages. This study investigated the associations of restricted outings on locomotive function during the COVID-19 pandemic using a cohort of middle-aged and elderly community-dwelling residents.

Methods

Registered citizens of 50–89 years old were targeted for this investigation. We established 8 groups based on age (50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's) and gender (male and female) after random sampling from the basic resident registry of Obuse town in 2014. All participants were surveyed by a 25-question geriatric locomotive function scale (GLFS-25) at the time of checkup before the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, in 2021 and 2022 after government restrictions on outings were lifted for COVID-19 pandemic, all participants were mailed questionnaires including the GLFS-25. A total of 296 (143 male and 153 female) participants who responded at least once were included. We evaluated the changes in opportunities to go out between pre- and post-pandemic time points and the impact on GLFS-25 scores.

Results

In total, 128 (43.2%) respondents had fewer opportunities to go out than the previous year. Pre- and post-pandemic GLFS-25 scores in the decreased outing (+) group were significantly worse than in the decreased outing (−) group (both p < 0.01). The final multivariate model revealed GLFS-25 score worsening beta coefficient of 0.27 for age (+10 years), 3.97 for male, 4.54 for decreased outings, and 4.46 for spinal canal stenosis.

Conclusions

In this randomly sampled Japanese cohort based on a resident registry, restricted outings during the COVID-19 pandemic was a significant independent factor associated with lower locomotive function.