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Normative data for hand grip strength in healthy children measured with a bulb dynamometer: a cross-sectional study
Mariana Angélica de Souza1, Cyntia Rogean de Jesus Alves de Baptista1, Michele Mataruco Baranauskas Benedicto1
1Ribeirao Preto Medicine School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Insights
This study establishes normative hand grip strength values for children aged 6-13 using a bulb dynamometer. Grip strength increases with age and correlates with body composition and height.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric physical assessment
- Human biomechanics
- Child development
Background:
- Establishing normative data for physical strength in children is crucial for assessing health and development.
- Hand grip strength is a key indicator of overall physical capacity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine normative hand grip strength values in children aged 6 to 13 years, stratified by gender and age.
- To investigate the correlation between hand grip strength and anthropometric measures (weight, height, body composition) and handedness.
- To validate the use of a bulb dynamometer for measuring grip strength in pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 295 healthy children aged 6 to 13 years.
- Grip strength was measured using a bulb dynamometer (North Coast).
- Data collected included weight, height, body composition (bioimpedance analysis), and handedness (Edinburgh scale).
Main Results:
- Hand grip strength increased with age in both genders.
- No significant difference in grip strength was observed between boys and girls aged 6 to 13 years.
- The dominant hand exhibited greater strength (mean 7.0 psi) than the non-dominant hand (mean 6.5 psi).
- Grip strength showed a strong positive correlation with fat-free mass and height (r≥0.75).
Conclusions:
- This study provides valuable normative hand grip strength data for children aged 6 to 13 years, measured with a bulb dynamometer.
- The bulb dynamometer is confirmed as a simple and effective tool for assessing grip strength in children.
- The findings support the use of this method for monitoring pediatric physical development and health.
Objective:
To present the normative hand grip strength values measured with a bulb dynamometer for children, by gender and age, and to correlate the findings with weight, height, body composition and handedness.
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Participants:
Data from 295 healthy children of both genders aged 6 to 13 years were analysed.
Methods:
Weight, height, body composition (Biodynamics model 450 bioimpedance analyser), handedness (Edinburgh scale) and grip strength measured with a bulb dynamometer (North Coast) were obtained.
Results:
Grip strength of both hands increased with age in the two genders. Grip strength was similar in boys and girls between 6 and 13 years of age. The dominant hand was stronger than the non-dominant hand [mean (standard deviation) 7.0 (2.3)psi vs 6.5 (2.1)psi], with a mean difference of 0.52psi (95% confidence interval of the difference 0.46 to 0.58). Grip strength was positively correlated with fat-free mass and height (r≥0.75).
Conclusion:
This study provides normative values for hand grip strength measured with a bulb dynamometer in children aged 6 to 13 years. This dynamometer provides a simple method to measure grip strength, and the results of this study provide further evidence of its performance in the measurement of grip strength.
