Relative grip strength, diet quality, and prediabetes prevalence in middle-aged Korean adults

Recent studies have actively explored various factors associated with prediabetes, including physiological conditions, lifestyle, environmental factors, and dietary habits. This study aimed to analyze the association between relative grip strength (RGS), the Korean Healthy Eating Index (KHEI), and the prevalence of prediabetes in middle-aged adults aged 40 to 64 yrs.

The study included 8,164 participants (3,240 men and 4,924 women) from the 2016-2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who had not been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Participants were classified into a low RGS group and a high RGS group based on the median RGS value. We analyzed general characteristics, nutrient and food group intake, KHEI scores, and the prevalence of prediabetes according to RGS levels.

The results showed that individuals with higher RGS exhibited significantly lower body mass index, fasting blood glucose, and glycated hemoglobin levels. Furthermore, regarding diet quality, individuals with elevated RGS had significantly higher vegetable intake scores compared to those with lower RGS. In the age-adjusted analysis of prediabetes prevalence in relation to RGS and diet quality, women with lower RGS and lower diet quality scores had a significantly increased prevalence of prediabetes (adjusted odds ratio, 1.76; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-2.66).

These findings suggest that middle-aged women with low relative handgrip strength may need to implement active strategies to enhance their diet quality in order to prevent the progression to diabetes.