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Handgrip strength reference intervals in Swedish, young, healthy adults: The LBA study
Paul Pettersson-Pablo1, Torbjörn K Nilsson2, Anita Hurtig-Wennlöf3
1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro, Sweden; School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden; Department of Medical Biosciences/Clinical Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Handgrip strength (HGS) reference intervals were established for young adults in Sweden. HGS varies by sex, height, and fat-free mass, indicating a need for localized, height-specific reference data.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Anthropometry
- Public Health
Background:
- Handgrip strength (HGS) serves as a key indicator of general health and nutritional status.
- Establishing normative data is crucial for clinical applications and health assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine clinically relevant reference intervals for handgrip strength in healthy, young adults from Northern Europe.
- To identify factors influencing handgrip strength in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 834 young adults (ages 18-26) in Sweden.
- Data collection included questionnaires on health, anthropometry, bioimpedance analysis for fat-free mass (FFM), and handgrip strength (HGS) measurements.
- Statistical analyses included ANOVA, Tukey's post hoc test, Spearman, and linear regressions.
Main Results:
- Mean HGS was 53 kg for men and 34 kg for women.
- HGS showed significant correlations with sex, height, and fat-free mass (FFM).
- Lower HGS was observed in individuals with a body mass index (BMI) below 20.
Conclusions:
- Reference intervals for HGS were established for healthy Swedish adults aged 18-26.
- HGS is a valuable surrogate marker for muscle mass, useful in health assessments.
- Height-specific reference intervals are recommended due to observed height-HGS correlations.
