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Published on: February 12, 2018
Assessment of handgrip strength in preschool children aged 3 to 5 years
G Sanchez-Delgado1, C Cadenas-Sanchez2, J Mora-Gonzalez2
1PROFITH 'PROmoting FITness and Health through physical activity' Research Group. Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of Granada, Granada, Spain gsanchezdelgado@ugr.es.
Insights
The optimal grip span for measuring maximum handgrip strength in preschool children is 4.0 cm. This finding is reliable across genders, ages, and hand sizes, aiding clinical assessments.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Human Physiology
- Biomechanical Engineering
Background:
- Handgrip strength is a key indicator of overall health and functional capacity in children.
- Standardized measurement protocols are crucial for accurate assessment and comparison.
- Previous research has not definitively established an optimal grip span for preschool-aged children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the optimal grip span for maximal handgrip strength measurement in preschool children.
- To investigate the influence of gender, age, and hand size on optimal grip span.
- To assess the reliability of the optimal grip span measurement.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 292 preschool children (3-5 years) performed handgrip strength tests using various grip spans (4.0-6.0 cm).
- Hand size was measured for each child.
- Test-retest reliability was assessed in a separate group of 56 children.
Main Results:
- A grip span of 4.0 cm yielded the maximal handgrip strength in preschool children.
- This optimal span was consistent across different genders, age groups, and hand sizes.
- Reliability testing showed no significant differences between repeated measurements.
Conclusions:
- The 4.0 cm grip span is recommended for consistent and accurate handgrip strength measurement in preschool children.
- This standardized approach can enhance the clinical utility and research validity of handgrip strength assessments.
- Findings provide practical guidance for healthcare professionals and researchers working with young children.
Abstract:
We investigated whether there is an optimal grip span for determining the maximum handgrip strength in preschool children and if it is influenced by gender, age, or hand size. A total of 292 preschool children (3-5 years; 59.2% boys) carried out the handgrip strength test with different grip spans (4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, and 6.0 cm). The hand size was also measured. We also determined the reliability of the optimal grip span in another group of children (n = 56, 57% boys) who did the test twice, with a 3-hour difference between tests. The results showed that 4.0 cm is the optimal grip span to determine the maximum handgrip strength in preschool children. This result applied to both genders, all age groups, and hand sizes. Paired t-tests showed no significant differences between test and retest. These findings may guide clinicians and researchers in selecting the optimal grip span when measuring handgrip strength in preschool children.Level IV.
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