Correlation between musculoskeletal system function and pre-depressive states in elderly cancer patients: A single-center cross-sectional study

doi:10.5498/wjp.v15.i11.110825

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World Journal of Psychiatry

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2220-3206

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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA

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World J Psychiatry. Nov 19, 2025; 15(11): 110825
Published online Nov 19, 2025. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i11.110825

Correlation between musculoskeletal system function and pre-depressive states in elderly cancer patients: A single-center cross-sectional study

Yu-Qing Zhou, Wen-Jing Xu, Yu-Ling Yang, Hui Su, Hui Lu, Hui Yu, Jing Wang, Ling Li, Dan-Hua Liang, Yong-Ping Xu, Jing-Fang Xia, Ying Chen, Rui-Rong Wu

Yu-Qing Zhou, Yu-Ling Yang, Hui Su, Hui Lu, Hui Yu, Jing Wang, Ling Li, Dan-Hua Liang, Yong-Ping Xu, Jing-Fang Xia, Ying Chen, Rui-Rong Wu, Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, Jiangsu Province, China

Wen-Jing Xu, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, Jiangsu Province, China

Co-first authors: Yu-Qing Zhou and Wen-Jing Xu.

Co-corresponding authors: Ying Chen and Rui-Rong Wu.

Author contributions: Zhou YQ, Xu WJ, and Wu RR contributed to conceptualization and supervision the manuscript; Yang YL, Su H, and Lu H contributed to methodology; Yu H and Wang J contributed to investigation and validation; Li L and Liang DH contributed to data curation, data analysis and writing-original draft preparation; Xu YP, Xia JF, and Chen Y contributed to writing-reviewing and editing the manuscript; Wu RR contributed to taking primary responsibility for communication with the journal during the manuscript submission, peer review, and publication processes. Zhou QY and Xu WJ contributed equally to this manuscript and are co-first authors. Chen Y and Wu RR contributed equally to this manuscript and are co-corresponding authors. All authors have read and approve the final manuscript.

Supported by Wuxi Institute of Translational Medicine Project Program, No. LCYJ202336; the Scientific and Technological Achievements Promotion Project of Wuxi Municipal Health Commission Project Program, No. T202336; the Hospital Management Innovation Research Project of Jiangsu Hospital Association, No. JSYGY-3-2024-601; and Jiangsu Provincial Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Development Plan Project, No. MS2024063.

Institutional review board statement: The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University (Approval No. LS2023101).

Informed consent statement: Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study; written informed consent has been obtained from the patients to publish this paper.

Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.

STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-checklist of items.

Data sharing statement: The datasets used during the current study available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/

Corresponding author: Rui-Rong Wu, Associate Chief Physician, Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, No. 1000 Hefeng Road, Wuxi 214122, Jiangsu Province, China. 18205039231@163.com

Received: June 17, 2025
Revised: July 16, 2025
Accepted: September 16, 2025
Published online: November 19, 2025
Processing time: 141 Days and 0.5 Hours

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Studies have shown that locomotive syndrome (LS) is significantly correlated with adverse outcomes, such as decreased self-care abilities, fractures, and increased mortality. Subthreshold depression (StD) is considered an independent predictor of clinical depression, regarded as its prodromal stage, and even linked to increased mortality risk. Limited research has addressed the prevalence and relationship between LS and StD in elderly cancer patients. Understanding the prevalence of LS and StD among elderly cancer patients and elucidating their relationship will provide evidence to support the development of targeted interventions, thereby improving health outcomes in this population.

AIM

To investigate the relationship between musculoskeletal system function and pre-depressive states in elderly cancer patients.

METHODS

A convenience sampling method was employed to recruit 500 elderly cancer patients undergoing follow-up visits at the Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, from April 2024 to December 2024. Participants completed the general information questionnaire, the 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale, and the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form-15. Influencing factors were analyzed, and correlation analyses were performed.

RESULTS

A total of 483 elderly cancer patients successfully completed the study. The prevalence of LS and StD among participants was 56.5% and 38.7%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis identified age, tumor metastasis, exercise habits, and the presence of StD as significant risk factors for LS in elderly cancer patients. Additionally, having three or more chronic diseases and LS were significant predictors for developing StD. Spearman’s correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between LS and StD (r = 0.424, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Elderly cancer patients exhibit a high prevalence of LS and StD, conditions which are positively correlated and mutually influential. Thus, it is critical to monitor and address pre-depressive states while evaluating and managing motor function in this population.

Keywords: Elderly cancer patients; Musculoskeletal function; Locomotive syndrome; Pre-depressive state; Correlation

Core Tip: Cancer patients often experience impaired ability to perform daily living activities and diminished social engagement due to tumor progression, treatment-related side effects, or pain, significantly impacting their psychological health. Limited research has addressed the prevalence and relationship between locomotive syndrome and subthreshold depression in elderly cancer patients. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of locomotive syndrome and subthreshold depression in elderly cancer patients, investigate their association, and provide evidence to support strategies aimed at preventing or mitigating musculoskeletal dysfunction and depression through targeted interventions.