Association between depression and motoric cognitive risk syndrome among community‐dwelling older adults in China: A 4‐year prospective cohort study

Abstract Background and purpose Depression can lead to a wide range of adverse health outcomes, including dementia. However, evidence supporting the relationship between depression and motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR), a pre‐dementia syndrome, remains lacking. This study aimed to examine the association between depression and MCR among community‐dwelling Chinese older adults. Methods Data were taken from the 2011 and 2015 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Depression was defined by a Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D) score ≥10. MCR was defined as subjective cognitive complaints and objective slow gait speed. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the cross‐sectional and longitudinal associations between depression and MCR at baseline and a 4‐year follow‐up period for the sample population and gender groups. Results The prevalence of MCR was higher in participants with depression than in those without depression at baseline (12.2% vs. 8.9%; p = 0.001). Participants with depression at baseline had a higher 4‐year incidence of MCR than those without depression (14.8% vs. 8.7%; p < 0.001). Both cross‐sectional analysis (odds ratio [OR] 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13–1.75) and prospective analysis (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.56–2.44) demonstrated that depression was significantly associated with MCR. These associations were consistent across different gender groups and stronger among female individuals. Conclusions Depression is an independent risk factor for MCR among community‐dwelling Chinese older adults. Special attention should be paid to the care of older people with depression to reduce the occurrence of MCR and even dementia.