Locomotive syndrome is associated with insufficient nutrient intake in young and middle-aged adults: a cross-sectional survey

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the relationship between locomotive syndrome (LS) and insufficient nutrient intake in young and middle-aged adults, independent of energy intake. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a cross-sectional survey of a non-random sample of 219 adults aged 18 to 64 (175 men and 44 women) working in two companies in Japan, between December 2018 and March 2019. LS Stage 0 was classified as No-LS while Stages 1 and 2 were classified as LS. Nutrient intake was assessed using a brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire and adjusted to the required energy intake for each participant. The criteria for sufficient intake of 22 nutrients were based on the Dietary Reference Intake for Japanese. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between LS and insufficient nutrient intake. Findings In total, 234 employees participated in the LS examinations while 219 of them completed the questionnaire giving a response rate of 93.6%. LS Stages 1 or 2 were present in both men and women in all the age-stratified groups except for the women in their 60s. There was a significant association between LS status and insufficient intake of Vitamin K (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] 16.0 [range: 1.1–407]; p = 0.01) in women, but not in men. Research limitations/implications The result suggests that attention should be paid to adequate Vitamin K intake in young and middle-aged women with LS. Future studies should be conducted using a larger and more diverse sample. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the present paper is the first study to show an association between LS in young and middle-aged adults and nutrients that are independent of energy intake.