Effect of Verbal Directions on Grip Strength Evaluated Using the Handheld Dynamometer

Background: Grip strength measurement using the handheld dynamometer is a key aspect of the evaluation of an upper extremity injury. The handheld dynamometer manufacturer has established research-based guidelines outlining body positioning during grip strength measurement. However, verbal direction guidelines, while provided, have not yet been shown to be most effective through research. This study seeks to determine whether the use of one of two types of verbal directions, with and without encouragements, resulted in greater grip strength as measured by the handheld dynamometer. Method: The grip strength of healthy females (n = 60) was compared using two sets of prerecorded verbal directions administered in random order. All other procedures were constant and closely followed a standardized procedure. Results: A statistically significant difference in the right- and left-hand grip strength (mean difference: 5.55 and 5.74 lb, respectively) was found between the two sets of verbal directions with verbal encouragement eliciting higher strength (p \u3c 0.0001). Conclusions: Verbal directions significantly affect grip strength scores in healthy females when evaluated using the handheld dynamometer. Evaluators should use verbal directions with encouragements when seeking to elicit maximum grip strength

Association between grip strength and diabetes prevalence in black, South Asian, and white European ethnic groups: a cross-sectional study of 418,656 UK Biobank participants

Aims: To quantify the extent to which ethnic differences in muscular strength might account for the substantially higher prevalence of diabetes in black and South-Asian compared with white European adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study used baseline data from the UK Biobank study on 418 656 white European, black and South-Asian participants, aged 40–69 years, who had complete data on diabetes status and hand-grip strength. Associations between hand-grip strength and diabetes were assessed using logistic regression and were adjusted for potential confounding factors. Results: Lower grip strength was associated with higher prevalence of diabetes, independent of confounding factors, across all ethnicities in both men and women. Diabetes prevalence was approximately three- to fourfold higher in South-Asian and two- to threefold higher in black participants compared with white European participants across all levels of grip strength, but grip strength in South-Asian men and women was ~5–6 kg lower than in the other ethnic groups. Thus, the attributable risk for diabetes associated with low grip strength was substantially higher in South-Asian participants (3.9 and 4.2 cases per 100 men and women, respectively) than in white participants (2.0 and 0.6 cases per 100 men and women, respectively). Attributable risk associated with low grip strength was also high in black men (4.3 cases) but not in black women (0.4 cases). Conclusions: Low strength is associated with a disproportionately large number of diabetes cases in South-Asian men and women and in black men. Trials are needed to determine whether interventions to improve strength in these groups could help reduce ethnic inequalities in diabetes prevalence

Associations between diabetes and both cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality are modified by grip strength: evidence from UK Biobank, a prospective population-based cohort study

OBJECTIVE Grip strength and diabetes are predictors of mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD), but whether these risk factors interact to predispose to adverse health outcomes is unknown. This study determined the interactions between diabetes and grip strength and their association with health outcomes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We undertook a prospective, general population cohort study by using UK Biobank. Cox proportional hazards models were used to explore the associations between both grip strength and diabetes and the outcomes of all-cause mortality and CVD incidence/mortality as well as to test for interactions between diabetes and grip strength. RESULTS 347,130 UK Biobank participants with full data available (mean age 55.9 years, BMI 27.2 kg/m2, 54.2% women) were included in the analysis, of which 13,373 (4.0%) had diabetes. Over a median follow-up of 4.9 years (range 3.3–7.8 years), 6,209 died (594 as a result of CVD), and 4,301 developed CVD. Participants with diabetes were at higher risk of all-cause and CVD mortality and CVD incidence. Significant interactions (P < 0.05) existed whereby the risk of CVD mortality was higher in participants with diabetes with low (hazard ratio [HR] 4.05 [95% CI 2.72, 5.80]) versus high (HR 1.46 [0.87, 2.46]) grip strength. Similar results were observed for all-cause mortality and CVD incidence. CONCLUSIONS Risk of adverse health outcomes among people with diabetes is lower in those with high grip strength. Low grip strength may be useful to identify a higher-risk subgroup of patients with diabetes. Intervention studies are required to determine whether resistance exercise can reduce risk

Somatotypes and hand-grip strength analysis of elite cadet sambo athletes

The objectives of this research were to establish somatotype and hand-grip strength between elite cadet male and female sambo athletes divided by weight categories. A total of 97 elite cadet sambo athletes, participants of the World Cadets Sambo Championships 2018 participated in the study. Male and female sambo athletes were divided by official weight categories. Anthropometrical variables were taken in order to calculate somatotypes and hand-grip strength. A one-way analysis of variance and Tukey's post hoc tests were used to compare group differences by weight categories. Results of this study provide the first description of somatotype and hand-grip strength of elite male and female cadet sambo athletes in relation to weight category. A typical somatotype in male sambo athletes was endomorphic mesomorphs with a predominance of musculoskeletal tissue, while female athletes differed concerning weight category. Overall, an increase in handgrip strength across weight categories was noted. Hand-grip strength increases linearly from the lightest to the heaviest weight category except in -66 and -84 kg in male athletes. Differences in handgrip strength of female athletes were detected between the lightest group and last six groups in all three variables in favor of last six as well as -44 and kg -48 kg compared with the heaviest. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first normative data of somatotype and hand-grip strength analyses in relation to age, gender, and weight categories of cadet sambo athletes. The anthropometric profile of sambo athletes changed according to their weight category. Mesomorphy was the most dominant somatotype component in male athletes, while female had three different types of somatotype component in relation to weight category. In conclusion, we found differences in hand-grip strength related to weight category, which can be linked to the muscle mass of athletes. Future studies should focus on somatotype and strength handgrip values of international compared to national level sambo athletes

Prediction of Jamar Grip Strength Value Using Modified Aneroid Spyhgmomanometer Cuff Method

Objective: To examine the prediction of Jamar grip strength value by using aneroid sphygmomanometer cuff method in adults.Methods: This study involved 120 subjects, aged 20–59 years old. The grip strength of subjects were measured using Jamar dynamometer and aneroid sphygmomanometer cuff method. Spearman analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between variables and grip strength. Forward stepwise was used to analyze the regression of Jamar dynamometer using aneroid sphygmomanometer cuff method. Results: There was a weak correlation (r<0.4) between grip strength with age and BMI, moderate correlation (r = 0.4–0.6) for grip circumference, and also strong correlation r= (0.6–0.8) for sex, hand length, and hand width. Jamar grip strength value can be predicted using spyghmomanometer with the formula of (0.1157 x Sphygmomanometer grip strength value) – (5.696 x sex) + (0.0824 x age) (female =1, male= 0).Conclusions: Grip strength correlates with physiological variables. The variables to predict Jamar grip strength using sphygmomanometer are sex and age. Regression analysis shows that spyhgmomanometer can be used as an alternative to measure grip strength and has a valid value to predict the Jamar grip strength value. Keywords: Adult, grip strength, Jamar dynamometer, sphygmomanometer, prediction formula DOI: 10.15850/ijihs.v5n1.95

Associations of Grip Strength and Change in Grip Strength With All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in a European Older Population

Objective: (1) To examine the associations between 3 measures of grip strength: static grip strength, change in grip strength, and the combination of grip strength and its change, with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and (2) to determine which measure is the most powerful predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among the European older population. Method: Data come from the first 4 waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). A Cox proportional hazard model and a competing risk regression model were used to assess the associations. To determine the best predictor, Akaike information criterion was applied. Results: Grip strength and the combination of grip strength and its change were associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Change in grip strength was correlated with only all-cause mortality. Among the 3 measures, the static measure of grip strength was the best predictor of cardiovascular mortality whereas the combined measure is that of all-cause mortality. Discussion: Grip strength is a significant indicator of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. The combination of grip strength and its change can be used to increase the accuracy for prediction of all-cause mortality among older persons

Associations of grip strength with cardiovascular, respiratory, and cancer outcomes and all cause mortality: prospective cohort study of half a million UK Biobank participants

Objective: To investigate the association of grip strength with disease specific incidence and mortality and whether grip strength enhances the prediction ability of an established office based risk score. Design: Prospective population based study. Setting: UK Biobank. Participants: 502 293 participants (54% women) aged 40-69 years. Main outcome measures: All cause mortality as well as incidence of and mortality from cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cancer (all cancer, colorectal, lung, breast, and prostate). Results: Of the participants included in analyses, 13 322 (2.7%) died over a mean of 7.1 (range 5.3-9.9) years’ follow-up. In women and men, respectively, hazard ratios per 5 kg lower grip strength were higher (all at P&lt;0.05) for all cause mortality (1.20, 95% confidence interval 1.17 to 1.23, and 1.16, 1.15 to 1.17) and cause specific mortality from cardiovascular disease (1.19, 1.13 to 1.25, and 1.22, 1.18 to 1.26), all respiratory disease (1.31, 1.22 to 1.40, and 1.24, 1.20 to 1.28), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (1.24, 1.05 to 1.47, and 1.19, 1.09 to 1.30), all cancer (1.17, 1.13 to 1.21, 1.10, 1.07 to 1.13), colorectal cancer (1.17, 1.04 to 1.32, and 1.18, 1.09 to 1.27), lung cancer (1.17, 1.07 to 1.27, and 1.08, 1.03 to 1.13), and breast cancer (1.24, 1.10 to 1.39) but not prostate cancer (1.05, 0.96 to 1.15). Several of these relations had higher hazard ratios in the younger age group. Muscle weakness (defined as grip strength &lt;26 kg for men and &lt;16 kg for women) was associated with a higher hazard for all health outcomes, except colon cancer in women and prostate cancer and lung cancer in both men and women. The addition of handgrip strength improved the prediction ability, based on C index change, of an office based risk score (age, sex, diabetes diagnosed, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, and smoking) for all cause (0.013) and cardiovascular mortality (0.012) and incidence of cardiovascular disease (0.009). Conclusion: Higher grip strength was associated with a range of health outcomes and improved prediction of an office based risk score. Further work on the use of grip strength in risk scores or risk screening is needed to establish its potential clinical utility

Social patterning in grip strength and in its association with age; A cross sectional analysis using the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS)

Background: Grip strength in early adulthood and midlife is an important predictor of disability, morbidity and mortality in later life. Understanding social patterning in grip strength at different life stages could improve insight into inequalities in age-related decline and when in the life course interventions could prevent the emergence of inequalities. Methods: Using United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) data on 19,292 people aged 16 to 99, fractional polynomial models were fitted to identify which function of age best described its association with grip strength. Linear regressions were used to establish whether socio-economic position (SEP), as measured by maternal education, highest educational qualification and income, was associated with grip strength. To test whether the association between age and grip strength was modified by SEP, interactions between SEP and the age terms were added. Differentiation was used to identify the age at which grip strength was highest for men and women and predicted levels of grip strength at peak were compared. Results: SEP is significantly associated with grip strength on all SEP measures, except education for men. Grip strength is highest at a younger age, and less strong for all measures of disadvantage for women and most measures for men. Interaction terms were not statistically significant indicating that the association between age and grip strength was not modified by SEP. Grip strength peak was 29.3 kg at age 33 for women with disadvantaged childhood SEP compared with 30.2 kg at age 35 for women with advantaged childhood SEP. Conclusion: The SEP differences in age and level of peak grip strength could be indicative of decline in muscle strength beginning earlier and from a lower base for disadvantaged groups. This could impact on the capacity for healthy ageing for those with disadvantaged SEP

Growth Diagrams for Grip Strength in Children

Abstract: Grip strength dynamometers often are used to assess hand function in children. The use of normative grip strength data at followup is difficult because of the influence of growth and neuromuscular maturation. As an alternative, infant welfare centers throughout the world use growth diagrams to observe normative growth. The aim of this study was to develop similar growth diagrams for grip strength in children. We measured the grip strength, hand dominance, gender, height, and weight of 225 children, 4 to 12 years old. We developed separate statistical models for both hands of boys and girls for drawing growth curves. Grip strength increased with age for both hands. For the whole group, the dominant hand produced higher grip strength than the nondominant hand and boys were stronger than girls. The grip strength of boys and girls differed between 2 and 19 N for the different age groups. Because grip strength measurements are accompanied by a rather large variance, the growth diagrams (presenting a continuum in grip strength) make it possible to better observe grip strength development with time corresponding to a more exact age. Depending on the accuracy needed, the use of one combined diagram could be considered. Level of Evidence: Level II, diagnostic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence

Grip strength from midlife as an indicator of later-life brain health and cognition: evidence from a British birth cohort

Background: Grip strength is an indicator of physical function with potential predictive value for health in ageing populations. We assessed whether trends in grip strength from midlife predicted later-life brain health and cognition. Methods: 446 participants in an ongoing British birth cohort study, the National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD), had their maximum grip strength measured at ages 53, 60–64, and 69, and subsequently underwent neuroimaging as part of a neuroscience sub-study, referred to as “Insight 46”, at age 69–71. A group-based trajectory model identified latent groups of individuals in the whole NSHD cohort with below- or above-average grip strength over time, plus a reference group. Group assignment, plus standardised grip strength levels and change from midlife were each related to measures of whole-brain volume (WBV) and white matter hyperintensity volume (WMHV), plus several cognitive tests. Models were adjusted for sex, body size, head size (where appropriate), sociodemographics, and behavioural and vascular risk factors. Results: Lower grip strength from midlife was associated with smaller WBV and lower matrix reasoning scores at age 69–71, with findings consistent between analysis of individual time points and analysis of trajectory groups. There was little evidence of an association between grip strength and other cognitive test scores. Although greater declines in grip strength showed a weak association with higher WMHV at age 69–71, trends in the opposite direction were seen at individual time points with higher grip strength at ages 60–64, and 69 associated with higher WMHV. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence that maximum grip strength may have value in predicting brain health. Future work should assess to what extent age-related declines in grip strength from midlife reflect concurrent changes in brain structure