Depressive symptoms and motor performance in the elderly: a population based study.

BACKGROUND There is a growing incidence of depression in the elderly, and this impairment interferes directly in the reduction of motor skills. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine the association between depressive symptoms and motor performance in community-dwelling elderly. METHOD This is a cross-sectional study that analyzed data from 316 elders of a home and population-based epidemiological survey. The information used was: socio-demographic characteristics; motor performance tests; physical activity; and Geriatric Depression Scale. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square, Spearman correlation and Poisson regression, with a confidence interval of 95%, were calculated. RESULTS For all motor tests, motor performance was negatively associated with depressive symptoms, regardless of gender, age, literacy and illiteracy, per capita income and physical activity. Elderly people with depressive symptoms have between 58% and 82% more functional limitation, depending on the motor performance test compared to those who were not depressed. CONCLUSIONS There is an inverse relationship between depressive symptoms and motor performance in the elderly.