Gait speed and incident depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
To systematically review and meta-analyze the association between gait speed and incident depression from published prospective studies in adults.
PRISMA 2020-compliant systematic review (PubMed/Embase/Web of Science/PsycINFO, up to 09/05/2025) for cohort studies investigating the associations between gait speed and incident depression. Data on odds ratios (OR) and hazard ratios (HR) were analyzed in meta-analyses separately. The New-Casttle Ottawa Scale was used to assess within study risk of bias. Meta-regression analyses were planned.
From 13.293 records screened, ten studies were included in the meta-analysis. Six studies (n = 13,313; mean age 71.3 years) reporting ORs showed that slower gait speed was associated with an increased risk of incident depression (OR = 1.30, 95 % CI = 1.03-1.66). Four studies (n = 90,729; mean age 71.6 years) reporting HRs corroborated this finding (HR = 1.17, 95 % CI = 1.08-1.28). Meta-regressions revealed no significant moderation by sex, age, follow-up duration, or person-years. All studies exhibited low risk of bias.
Slower gait speed is significantly associated with an elevated risk of incident depression in adults, independent of sex, age, follow-up duration, or exposure time. These findings position gait speed as a potential non-invasive biomarker for identifying individuals at risk of depression. Further studies are needed to integrate speed gait in depression prediction models.
PRISMA 2020-compliant systematic review (PubMed/Embase/Web of Science/PsycINFO, up to 09/05/2025) for cohort studies investigating the associations between gait speed and incident depression. Data on odds ratios (OR) and hazard ratios (HR) were analyzed in meta-analyses separately. The New-Casttle Ottawa Scale was used to assess within study risk of bias. Meta-regression analyses were planned.
From 13.293 records screened, ten studies were included in the meta-analysis. Six studies (n = 13,313; mean age 71.3 years) reporting ORs showed that slower gait speed was associated with an increased risk of incident depression (OR = 1.30, 95 % CI = 1.03-1.66). Four studies (n = 90,729; mean age 71.6 years) reporting HRs corroborated this finding (HR = 1.17, 95 % CI = 1.08-1.28). Meta-regressions revealed no significant moderation by sex, age, follow-up duration, or person-years. All studies exhibited low risk of bias.
Slower gait speed is significantly associated with an elevated risk of incident depression in adults, independent of sex, age, follow-up duration, or exposure time. These findings position gait speed as a potential non-invasive biomarker for identifying individuals at risk of depression. Further studies are needed to integrate speed gait in depression prediction models.
Authors
Guimarães Guimarães, da Silva da Silva, Machado Machado, Oliveira Oliveira, Balsan Balsan, Viera Viera, Löbell Löbell, Stubbs Stubbs, Vancampfort Vancampfort, Solmi Solmi, Veronese Veronese, Lanferdini Lanferdini, Schuch Schuch
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