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Published on: July 5, 2017
Maximal isometric muscle strength values obtained By hand-held dynamometry in children between 6 and 15 years of age
Raul G Escobar1,2, Karin T Munoz3,2, Angelica Dominguez4
1Pediatric Neurology Unit, Division of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Insights
This study established maximal isometric muscle strength reference values for healthy Chilean children aged 6-15. Strength significantly correlates with age and weight, emphasizing ethnic relevance in pediatric muscle strength assessment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric physiology
- Musculoskeletal health
- Human kinetics
Background:
- Establishing normative data for pediatric muscle strength is crucial for assessing growth and development.
- Previous studies have explored strength-age relationships, but ethnic variations require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine maximal isometric muscle strength reference values in a healthy, normal-weight Chilean pediatric population (ages 6-15).
- To investigate the relationship between muscle strength and anthropometric parameters (age, weight) in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- Hand-held dynamometry was used to measure maximal isometric muscle strength.
- Four hundred children were evaluated, stratified into 10 age groups (1-year intervals).
- Each age group comprised 35-55 participants.
Main Results:
- Muscle strength demonstrated a positive correlation with both age (r=0.83) and weight (r=0.82).
- Findings align with previous research on strength-age-anthropometry relationships.
- Observed strength values differed from those reported in other populations.
Conclusions:
- The study provides essential normative strength data for Chilean children.
- Results underscore the importance of considering ethnicity when establishing pediatric muscle strength reference values.
- These parameters aid in the clinical assessment of muscle function in children.
Introduction:
In this study we aimed to determine the maximal isometric muscle strength of a healthy, normal-weight, pediatric population between 6 and 15 years of age using hand-held dynamometry to establish strength reference values. The secondary objective was determining the relationship between strength and anthropometric parameters.
Methods:
Four hundred normal-weight Chilean children, split into 10 age groups, separated by 1-year intervals, were evaluated. Each age group included between 35 and 55 children.
Results:
The strength values increased with increasing age and weight, with a correlation of 0.83 for age and 0.82 for weight. The results were similar to those reported in previous studies regarding the relationships among strength, age, and anthropometric parameters, but the reported strength differed.
Conclusions:
These results provide normal strength parameters for healthy and normal-weight Chilean children between 6 and 15 years of age and highlight the relevance of ethnicity in defining reference values for muscle strength in a pediatric population. Muscle Nerve 55: 16-22, 2017.
