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Published on: June 4, 2020
Growth diagrams for grip strength in children
H M Ties Molenaar1, Ruud W Selles, J Michiel Zuidam
1Department of Rehabilitation, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. H.Molenaar@erasmusmc.nl
Insights
This study developed grip strength growth diagrams for children aged 4-12 years. These charts help track hand function development, accounting for age and maturation, unlike static normative data.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
- Human Growth and Development
Background:
- Grip strength is a key indicator of hand function in children.
- Assessing grip strength changes over time is challenging due to growth and maturation.
- Existing growth charts for general development are widely used.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create normative growth diagrams for grip strength in children.
- To provide a tool for monitoring hand function development longitudinally.
- To establish age- and sex-specific grip strength reference curves.
Main Methods:
- Collected grip strength, hand dominance, gender, height, and weight data from 225 children (4-12 years old).
- Developed separate statistical models for boys and girls, considering both hands.
- Generated growth curves based on these statistical models.
Main Results:
- Grip strength demonstrated a consistent increase with age in both hands.
- The dominant hand exhibited higher grip strength compared to the non-dominant hand.
- Boys generally showed greater grip strength than girls, with differences ranging from 2 to 19 N across age groups.
Conclusions:
- Grip strength growth diagrams offer a valuable method for observing hand function development in children.
- These diagrams account for the natural variance and developmental changes in grip strength.
- A single combined diagram may be considered for less precise assessments.
Unlabelled:
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.
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