Multivariable reference centiles for maximum grip strength in childhood to young adults

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Anthropometry
• Biostatistics

Background:

• Maximum grip strength (mGS) is a key indicator of health in pediatric and adult populations.
• Accurate reference data is crucial for interpreting mGS in clinical and research settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish sex-, age-, height-, and BMI-adjusted reference centiles for mGS in children, adolescents, and young adults.
• To develop a novel method for generating these comprehensive reference centiles.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of longitudinal data from the DONALD study (2004-2022).
• Application of a combined multiple linear regression and LMS algorithm for centile generation.
• Inclusion of 3325 mGS measurements from 976 participants (465 females, 511 males).

Main Results:

• Significant correlations found between mGS and body height and BMI (r=0.303-0.432, p<0.001).
• Generated sex-, age-, height-, and BMI-adjusted reference centiles for mGS.
• Developed reference centiles for tracking changes in mGS z-scores from ages 8 to 20.

Conclusions:

• The presented reference centiles offer a robust tool for evaluating mGS in young individuals.
• The methodology is potentially adaptable for other biologically influenced variables.
• Novel centiles for assessing mGS change over time in repeated measurements are now available.