Hand grip strength: Reference values for adults and elderly people of Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil

Abstract

Hand grip strength (HGS) is recognized as an important health indicator, but validated reference values that can be applied to the evaluation of individuals in different populations are still lacking. This work aimed to identify correlations between HGS and anthropometric variables and to establish HGS reference values for adult and elderly populations. This is a population-based cross-sectional study considering the subsets of individuals with healthy right or left upper limbs from a sample of 1,609 adults and elderly residents in Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil. Descriptive statistics of anthropometric measures and HGS values at maximum performance based on three measurements of the two hands were obtained, and Pearson correlations between these variables were applied. Percentile distributions were estimated for right and left HGS by sex and age group. Men presented, in general, a maximum HGS 57% higher than women (43.4 kg vs. 27.6 kg), and also higher HGS levels in the different age groups. In both sexes, the highest HGS values were observed in the age group of 30 to 39 years (men, 46.9 kg; women, 29.4 kg), with a subsequent decline. HGS presented a negative correlation with age and a weak to moderate positive correlation with anthropometric variables, among men and women. The median HGS of men was reduced by about 46% between the ages of 30 and 39 years and 80 years and over (right hand, 46.4 to 23.7 kg; left hand, 42.2 to 23.5 kg) and by about 44% in women (right hand, 29.0 to 16.4 kg, left hand, 27.3 to 15.2 kg). The values identified are a reference for HGS behavior among healthy adults and seniors, although they do not discriminate individuals with specific health conditions. They can be used in rehabilitation programs and subsidize future studies aimed at exploring their potential application in the evaluation of the health condition of adults and elderly individuals.