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Association between “loco-check” and EuroQol, a comprehensive instrument for assessing health-related quality of life: a study of the Japanese general population

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Orthopaedic Science

Abstract

Background

The concept of “locomotive syndrome” (LS) was proposed by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) in 2007 to refer to the risk of elderly individuals becoming bedridden because of reduced function of locomotive organs, for example muscles, bones, and joints. The purpose of this study was to clarify the association between LS screening results based on “loco-check” and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessed by use of EuroQol.

Materials and methods

Four-hundred and forty-two Japanese subjects (183 males and 259 females) were evaluated for LS and HRQoL by use of “loco-check,” EuroQol-5 dimensions (EQ-5D), and EuroQol-VAS (EQ-VAS). If the subjects answered “yes” to one or more of the seven items of “loco-check,” they were assigned to a locomotive syndrome suspected group (L group). If they answered “no” to all seven items, they were assigned to a locomotive syndrome not suspected group (NL group). We investigated the association between the screening LS results obtained by use of “loco-check” and HRQoL status determined by use of EQ-5D utility value and EQ-VAS score.

Results

LS was suspected among 39.6 % of the subjects on the basis of “loco-check.” In univariate analysis, significantly higher age, higher female-to-male ratio, and more reduced HRQoL were observed in the L group than in the NL group, according to EQ-5D and EQ-VAS. Logistic regression analysis showed that EQ-5D utility value and EQ-VAS score were associated with LS and the difference was statistically significant. Furthermore, correlations were found between the number of items with a “yes” answer on “loco-check”, EQ-5D, or EQ-VAS. That is, a larger number of items with a “yes” answer on “loco-check” was associated with reduced HRQoL assessed by use of EQ-5D and EQ-VAS.

Conclusions

We demonstrated that a finding of LS on the basis of “loco-check” is significantly associated with EQ-5D utility value and EQ-VAS score, and that a population identified as having LS by use of “loco-check” also had reduced HRQoL. Furthermore, it is speculated that the severity of reduced HRQoL because of locomotive dysfunction can be determined by use of “loco-check”.

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Conflict of interest

All authors certify they have no commercial associations that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan

    Yoichi Iizuka, Haku Iizuka, Tokue Mieda, Tsuyoshi Tajika, Atsushi Yamamoto & Kenji Takagishi

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  1. Yoichi Iizuka
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  2. Haku Iizuka
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  3. Tokue Mieda
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  4. Tsuyoshi Tajika
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Correspondence to Yoichi Iizuka.

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Iizuka, Y., Iizuka, H., Mieda, T. et al. Association between “loco-check” and EuroQol, a comprehensive instrument for assessing health-related quality of life: a study of the Japanese general population. J Orthop Sci 19, 786–791 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00776-014-0602-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00776-014-0602-7

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