Nutrition and Handgrip Strength Among Adults in Rural Matlab, Bangladesh

Handgrip strength (HGS) provides a dynamic indicator of overall strength and physical fitness. Population-based investigations of anemia and iron deficiency as predictors of HGS are limited; most studies rely on elderly and/or clinical samples. We assessed iron deficiency, anemia, body mass index (BMI), and body fat percentage as predictors of HGS among a representative cross-sectional sample of adult residents of Matlab, Bangladesh.

We collected HGS, anthropometric measurements, and whole blood specimens from a representative, population-based sample of adults in Matlab. We used hemoglobin to identify anemia and soluble transferrin receptor to identify iron deficiency. We estimated mixed-effects generalized linear models of HGS.

Iron deficiency, but not anemia, was negatively associated with HGS among both men and women. Among men, but not women, underweight BMI was negatively associated with HGS, and overweight BMI was positively associated with HGS.

Iron nutrition is important for muscles' capacity for work and overall physical fitness, regardless of the presence of anemia. Among men (but not women) in this setting, BMI categories seem to capture differences in muscle tissue as well as adiposity.