Relationship between locomotive syndrome risk test and height and weight in infancy and toddlerhood: a preliminary study

Introduction The Japanese Medical Science Federation’s declaration highlighted that locomotive syndrome (LS) precedes frailty, emphasizing the importance of early intervention beginning in childhood and continuing throughout life. To date, no study has examined the relationship between LS in adults and height and weight during infancy and toddlerhood. As a preliminary investigation, this study aimed to clarify how height and weight during early life stages are related to LS among young adults. Methods In this study, 62 students enrolled at a health sciences university were administered the locomotive syndrome risk test, and their grip strength was measured. Height and weight at birth, at 1 year, and at 3 years of age were obtained from the Maternal and Child Health Handbook. All participants were born via normal delivery. The relationships between the LS risk test results, height, and weight were analyzed using correlation and multivariate analyses. Results Correlation analysis revealed significant associations between height and weight in infancy and toddlerhood and the following variables: two-step length, two-step test value, 25-question geriatric locomotive function scale score, and grip strength. Multiple regression analysis showed a significant relationship between two-step length and height at birth ( p = 0.002), and between grip strength and weight at age 3 ( p = 0.021). Conclusions A weak-to-moderate relationship was found between LS and height and weight in infancy and toddlerhood. These findings suggest that preventive measures for LS should not be delayed until adulthood; rather, early-life interventions beginning in infancy, toddlerhood, and childhood may be crucial.