Norms for hand grip strength in children aged 6-12 years in Saudi Arabia

Area of Science:

• Pediatric physical assessment
• Human kinesiology
• Growth and development studies

Background:

• Establishing normative data for physical parameters is crucial for child development assessment.
• Hand grip strength is a key indicator of overall physical health and neuromuscular function in children.
• Limited data exists on hand grip strength for children in Saudi Arabia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine normative values for hand grip strength in Saudi Arabian children aged 6-12 years.
• To compare these normative values with existing data from Western populations.
• To provide a reference for clinical assessment of Saudi children's hand strength.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 525 children aged 6-12 years from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• Hand grip strength was measured using a calibrated electronic hand dynamometer.
• Data analysis included comparisons based on age, gender, and hand dominance.

Main Results:

• Hand grip strength demonstrated a positive correlation with age in both genders.
• Boys exhibited significantly greater hand grip strength compared to girls.
• No significant difference in grip strength was observed based on hand dominance.
• Saudi children's hand grip strength was found to be lower than their Western counterparts.

Conclusions:

• The established normative values provide a benchmark for evaluating hand grip strength in Saudi children.
• These findings aid therapists in differentiating between typical and atypical development based on age, gender, and anthropometric measures.
• The study highlights potential differences in physical strength between Saudi and Western children, warranting further investigation.