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Grip strength in children
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Hospital Pellenberg, Pellenberg, Belgium.
Insights
Grip strength in children aged 5-15 years correlates with age. Boys aged 13+ show stronger grip than girls, with high individual variation observed in grip force measurements.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Human Physiology
- Biometrics
Background:
- Grip strength is a key indicator of overall health and physical development in children.
- Understanding normative grip strength values is crucial for assessing pediatric health and development.
- Previous research indicates a correlation between age and grip strength, but specific sex-based differences in adolescence require further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure and analyze grip strength in a large cohort of healthy children aged 5 to 15 years.
- To investigate the relationship between grip strength, age, and sex.
- To identify potential differences in grip strength between dominant and non-dominant hands.
Main Methods:
- Grip strength was measured in 487 healthy children aged 5–15 years.
- Data analysis focused on correlations between grip strength, age, and sex.
- Differences between dominant and non-dominant hand grip were assessed.
Main Results:
- A clear positive correlation was observed between age and grip strength across all participants.
- Grip strength showed similar development in boys and girls until age 12.
- From age 13 onwards, boys exhibited a 25% greater grip force compared to girls. The right hand was consistently stronger in right-hand dominant children, though the difference was not statistically significant. Grip forces varied widely, ranging from 6.9 kg to 38.4 kg.
Conclusions:
- Grip strength increases with age in children aged 5–15 years.
- Sex-based differences in grip strength emerge around puberty, with adolescent boys developing significantly stronger grip than girls.
- While individual variation is high, grip strength is a reliable developmental indicator in pediatric populations.
Abstract:
The grip strength in a group of 487 healthy children aged between 5 years and 15 years was measured. There was a clear correlation between age and grip strength. Up to the age of 12 years, there was a striking parallellism between boys and girls. From the age of 13 years, boys developed a 25% stronger grip force than girls. The difference between the dominant and nondominant hand grip was not significant, but was constantly stronger in the right hand for right-hand dominant children. There was a high variation in grip forces (from 6.9 kg to 38.4 kg).