Normative Grip Strength Values in Males and Females, ages 50 to 89 years old

Purpose. To develop normative reference values for grip strength of males and females between the ages of 50 and 89 years old that can be used by health care professionals in clinical settings. Methods. This study assessed data from a sample of males and females between the ages of 50 and 89 years old who participated in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) sponsored by the National Institute on Aging. The Health and Retirement Study collected data from 6,266 participants in a physical measures sub-study. Grip strength was assessed in a standing position with the shoulder adducted and elbow flexed to 90 degrees. One practice trial was allowed and then the participant performed 2 maximal effort trials using each hand. Right and left hand mean scores were calculated. The HRS data were reported in kilograms. Results. Subjects were stratified by sex and age. Each stratum was defined using 5-year intervals, male or female, and by right or left hand. Mean grip strength, standard deviation, sample size, and percentile ranks from 5 to 95 at intervals of 5 are reported for each stratum in both kilograms and pounds. Conclusion. The normative values provided in this report should advance the clinical utility of grip strength as a physical measure. Percentile ranks are easy to determine and interpret for both the patient and clinician. Clinicians will benefit from the results of this study by better assessing the physical status of their patients, developing better goals for their patients, and providing better education to their patients on this aspect of physical health

Slow recovery of High Arctic heath communities from nitrogen enrichment

Acknowledgements We are indebted to Ian Alexander who initiated the fertilisation experiment with SJW; to successive researchers involved in the experiment, John Baddeley, Nanette Madan, Lars Hogbom, Bernard Moyersen, Carmen Gordon; and to field assistants, Alison Horsburgh, Andrew Coughlan, Jo Wynn, Lora Crabtree. We thank Hans Kruijer and Michael Stech for assistance with bryophyte species identification in 2011. Funding for the initial experiment was provided by the NERC Arctic Terrestrial Ecology Special Topic Programme (GR3/9424, GR9/3433) with additional support from the CEC TMR Programme, Ny-Ålesund LSF and the British Ecological Society. This recovery study was funded by NERC (NE/I016899/1). The research was made possible by use of NERC facilities at Harland Huset; special thanks to Nick Cox and colleagues for their unfailing hospitality and support.Peer reviewedPostprintPostprin

Percentile Ranks for Walking Speed in Subjects 70-79 Years: A Meta-Analysis

It has been suggested that walking speed is the sixth vital sign. To adequately assess the status of walking speed of patients, normative data or percentile ranks are required. The purpose of this study was to develop percentile ranks for walking speed using a meta-analytic approach for independent, community-dwelling males and females between 70 and 79 years of age. Using PubMed and CINAHL, articles were included in the analysis if: 1) subjects were between 70 and 79 years of age; 2) “walking speed” was described as “comfortable,” “preferred,” “usual,” “normal,” or “self-selected”; 3) subjects were classified as independent and community-dwelling; 4) data were provided separately for males and female; 5) means, standard deviations (SD) and sample size were presented or easily discerned; and 6) the English language was used. Two systematic reviews (Bohannon and Andrews, Rydwik et al) were also used to help identify relevant studies. Articles were not included if the sampling methods or testing protocol were not well described by the authors. Principal author, country of study, and timing method, mean walking speed, SD, and number of subjects were obtained for each article. Weighted means, pooled SD, and percentile ranks from 5 to 95 were calculated. Samples of 6359 males from 22 studies representing 10 countries and 12064 females from 34 studies representing 12 countries were used for analysis. Minimal Detectable Changes (MDC) were also calculated for 95% and 90% confidence levels. The weighted mean walking speed was 116.72 cm/sec (pooled SD + 18.77) for males and 105.49 cm/sec (pooled SD + 21.20) for females. Percentile ranks from 5 to 95 were calculated for males and females. For females, the MDC95 was 10.18 cm/sec, while the MDC90 was 8.57 cm/sec. For males, the MDC95 was 9.01 cm/sec, while the MDC90 was 7.59 cm/sec. Percentile ranks are easy to explain and easy to understand, and may be used as adjunctive information during routine healthcare visits

The Effect of Quality of Movement on the Single Hop Test in Soccer Players Aged 15-16 Years

Sports injuries are one of the most common injuries in modern society. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is commonly injured in sports. Soccer is one of many sports where an ACL injury is likely to occur, due to inherent jumping and pivoting during participation. Abnormal movement patterns have been suggested as a risk factor for knee injuries, which lead to the development of the step-down test. The Single Leg Hop for Distance test is used to assess functional performance in individuals with an ACL injury or reconstruction. The purpose of the current study was to determine if there are differences in hop test distances according to scores on the step-down test. A second purpose is to determine the relationship between hop test distances and height. Sixty-one males and sixty-one females between 15 and 16 years who participated in a club soccer program participated in the study. The Hop test and the step-down test were administered to the subjects. Mean hop distance for males was 172.89 cm (SD = 18.27) and the mean hop distance for females was 146.88 cm (SD = 14.63). For both males and females, there were no differences in hop distances between the left and right lower extremity (LE). There were no differences in hop distances according to classification of the step-down test for males. Females classified as good by the step-down test hopped farther than females classified as poor. There were no relationships between distances in the hop test and height in females (r = .23 for the left LE; .21 for the right LE). There was a low relationship between distances in the hop test and height in males (r = .46 for the left LE; .39 for the right LE). Clinicians may utilize this information for goal setting and objective testing during rehabilitation

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and individual criterion in US adolescents: 2001-2010 national health and nutrition examination survey

Background: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome has increased in adolescents in previous years. The objectives of this study were to examine the prevalence in the past decade and the individual criteria in a nationally representative sample of US adolescents. Methods: This study was a descriptive analysis of 3495 US adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 years using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2000-2010. Metabolic syndrome was defined as having three of the five following conditions: Waist circumference (WC),≥90th percentile (sex-specific); elevated resting blood pressure,≥90th percentile (age, height, sex-specific); elevated triglycerides (TGs); low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; and/or impaired fasting glucose. Results: Approximately 73.2% of the participants had at least one criterion, with the estimated metabolic syndrome prevalence being 10.1%. Prevalence was higher in males than females (13.0% vs. 6.4%, P\u3c0.05). Both Hispanic males and females had significantly greater odds of metabolic syndrome. Abnormal WC and abnormal TG levels were the most common individual criteria; in comparison, abnormal blood pressure was the least common across racial ethnic backgrounds. Conclusions: An estimated one in 10 US adolescents has metabolic syndrome. These findings have important public health implications due to the known cardiovascular disease risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome

A CBCT Evaluation of Midpalatal Bone Density in Various Skeletal Patterns

The purpose of this study was to evaluate midpalatal bone density (BD) by using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) according to gender, age, and vertical and horizontal skeletal patterns. CBCT images from 126 subjects (64 females and 62 males) were reoriented and analyzed in order to attain BD values at the midpalatal suture. Four age groups were used for classification (adolescence, 10 ≤ early 21 years). Vertical skeletal pattern categories were differentiated by the Frankfort horizontal line to mandibular plane angle (hypodivergent p p p < 0.05). With this information, clinicians can better understand BD trends of the midpalatal suture and, thus, better understand our patient’s anatomy and potential hurdles in successful treatment

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Individual Criterion in US Adolescents: 2001–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Background: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome has increased in adolescents in previous years. The objectives of this study were to examine the prevalence in the past decade and the individual criteria in a nationally representative sample of US adolescents. Methods: This study was a descriptive analysis of 3495 US adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 years using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2000-2010. Metabolic syndrome was defined as having three of the five following conditions: Waist circumference (WC),≥90th percentile (sex-specific); elevated resting blood pressure,≥90th percentile (age, height, sex-specific); elevated triglycerides (TGs); low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; and/or impaired fasting glucose. Results: Approximately 73.2% of the participants had at least one criterion, with the estimated metabolic syndrome prevalence being 10.1%. Prevalence was higher in males than females (13.0% vs. 6.4%, P\u3c0.05). Both Hispanic males and females had significantly greater odds of metabolic syndrome. Abnormal WC and abnormal TG levels were the most common individual criteria; in comparison, abnormal blood pressure was the least common across racial ethnic backgrounds. Conclusions: An estimated one in 10 US adolescents has metabolic syndrome. These findings have important public health implications due to the known cardiovascular disease risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome

Implementation of Patient-Centered Care by Athletic Training Students during Clinical Experiences: A Report from the Association of Athletic Training Education Research Network

Patient-centered care (PCC) is a core competency that should be required by all healthcare education programs, but little is known about its implementation in athletic training clinical experiences. Therefore, we examined characteristics of patient encounters documented by athletic training students implementing PCC behaviors. A multisite panel design was used to recruit 363 students from twelve professional athletic training programs (five undergraduate, seven graduate). Over 1.5 years, clinical experience patient encounter data were logged in E*Value Case Logs, including student role during the encounter, length of encounter, and clinical site. Generalized estimating equations models characterized the likelihood students included PCC behaviors in 30,522 encounters. Discussing patient goals was associated with student role (χ2(2) = 40.6, p 2(4) = 67.6, p 2(2) = 21.6, p 2(4) = 34.5, p 2(3) = 17.3, p = 0.001). Implementing clinician-rated outcome measures was affected by length of encounter (χ2(4) = 27.9, p 2(3) = 8.6, p = 0.04). PCC behaviors were largely associated with student role and length of encounters; clinical site had less impact. Athletic training educators should emphasize progressive autonomous supervision with preceptors and encourage students to facilitate slightly longer patient visits, when possible, to incorporate more PCC behaviors