Is grip strength a good marker of physical performance among community-dwelling older people?

Introduction There is increasing interest in physical performance as it relates to both the current and future health of older people. It is often characterised using the Short Physical Performance Battery including assessment of gait speed, chair rises and standing balance. However this battery of tests may not be feasible in all clinical settings and simpler measures may be required. As muscle strength is central to physical performance, we explored whether grip strength could be used as a marker of the Short Physical Performance Battery. Objective To examine associations between grip strength and components of the Short Physical Performance Battery in older community dwelling men and women. Methods Grip strength measurement and the Short Physical Performance Battery were completed in 349 men and 280 women aged 63–73 years taking part in the Hertfordshire Cohort Study (HCS). Relationships between grip strength and physical performance (6m timed-up-and-go [TUG], 3m walk, chair rises and standing balance times) were analysed using linear and logistic regression, without and with adjustment for age, anthropometry, lifestyle factors and co-morbidities. Results Among men, a kilo increase in grip strength was associated with a 0.07s (second) decrease in 6m TUG, a 0.02s decrease in 3m walk time, and a 1% decrease in chair rises time (p<0.001 for all). Among women, a kilo increase in grip strength was associated with a 0.13s decrease in 6m TUG, a 0.03s decrease in 3m walk time, and a 1% decrease in chair rises time (p<0.001). Higher grip strength was associated with better balance among men (p=0.01) but not women (p=0.57). Adjustment for age, anthropometry, lifestyle and co-morbidities did not alter these results. Conclusions Grip strength is a good marker of physical performance in this age group and may be more feasible than completing a short physical performance battery in some clinical settings

Determinants of loan repayment performance among borrowers of microfinance institutions: Evidence from India

A better understanding of loan repayment behavior of borrowers can contribute to the development of microfinance. This paper investigates the repayment performance of borrowers of a nonprofit Indian microfinance institution, the Indian Institute for Mother and Child \u2013 IIMC, using a novel data set. We collected raw data on more than 1600 borrowers, covering a period of more than three years. The data collection focused on the installments of those borrowers who at first received a loan lower than the loan limit, but then reached the loan limit within the time span considered. The final sample for the empirical analyses is homogeneous in terms of borrowers\u2019 characteristics and includes the installments of 373 loans. We focus on a relatively neglected issue in the microcredit literature, viz. the motivation of the borrower for receiving future loans. In addition to borrowers\u2019 characteristics, we analyze the motivational issues that may influence the probability that the loan is fully or partially repaid, and the time horizon over which it is repaid. Empirical results show that the repayment rate improves as borrowers get closer to the loan limit, which is the maximum available loan. In other words, motivation for reaching the maximum loan level is positively associated to the repayment performance