Association between depressive symptoms and dynamic balance among young adults in the community

Background: Detecting and addressing depression symptoms at their outset can reduce the burden on individuals and society; however, it has a limitation in that such evaluations mainly rely on self-reports. Several studies have demonstrated a strong association between motor symptoms and early depression. We aimed to associate body balance measured by the Lower Quarter Y Balance Test (YBT-LQ) with depressive symptoms among young adults in the community, to confirm the current evidence that depression negatively influences body balance. Research question: Is the YBT-LQ an objective tool for measuring and evaluating young adults' depression risks, as well as assessing whether depression negatively influences body balance? Methods: Our participants comprised 36 young adults. We assessed their depressive symptoms using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) via a Google survey, measured their body balance with the YBT-LQ, and analyzed data with Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficient test, using SPSS version 27.0. Results: We found that the right leg's anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral scores- Z = -2.129, p = .033; Z = - 2.181, p = .029; and Z = - 2.250, p = .024, respectively-and composite scores-Z = 73.00, p = .027 -were significantly lower in the group with risk for clinical depression compared to the normal group. The CES-D total score had a negative association with all YBT-LQ scores, except for the anterior score of the left leg. Among the CES-D sub-factors, somatic and retarded activity showed negative correlations with all the YBT-LQ scores. Significance: Our findings revealed that depressive symptoms have a negative association with balance, and that the YBT-LQ can be a reliable tool for measuring motor symptoms of depression, specifically among young adults.