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Grip Strength and Anthropometric Characteristics among Hispanic Children and Adolescents with Obesity and Insulin

Enibeth Diaz-Cotto1, Farah A Ramirez-Marrero1, Carlos A Leyva-Jordán2

  • 1University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus.

Puerto Rico Health Sciences Journal
|March 17, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Grip strength in obese pediatric patients with insulin resistance (IR) is not directly linked to IR levels. However, it is influenced by body composition and anthropometric factors, suggesting potential for targeted interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Metabolic Health
  • Body Composition Analysis

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing concern, often associated with metabolic complications like insulin resistance (IR).
  • Understanding the interplay between body composition, anthropometric characteristics, and metabolic health markers is crucial for effective management in pediatric populations.
  • Grip strength, a measure of muscle function, may serve as a potential indicator of overall health and metabolic status in children and adolescents.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the associations between grip strength and anthropometric characteristics in pediatric patients diagnosed with obesity and insulin resistance (IR).
  • To compare the assessment of IR using the Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and fasting insulin levels in this cohort.
  • To explore potential correlations between grip strength, body composition, and anthropometric measures in youth with obesity and IR.

Main Methods:

  • Secondary data analysis of 41 children and adolescents (mean age 14.4 years) with obesity and IR undergoing supervised weight management.
  • Assessment of anthropometric characteristics including BMI, waist circumference, body fat percentage, and lean mass.
  • Measurement of grip strength, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and calculation of HOMA-IR; statistical analyses included t-tests and correlation analyses.

Main Results:

  • Participants exhibited high BMI (above 99th percentile), elevated waist circumference, body fat, and lean mass.
  • A strong correlation was observed between fasting insulin and HOMA-IR (r=0.98), validating both measures for IR assessment.
  • Grip strength was not directly associated with fasting insulin or HOMA-IR but showed an inverse correlation with waist circumference, body fat percentage, and BMI percentile when relative to lean mass.

Conclusions:

  • In pediatric patients with obesity and IR, grip strength is not directly influenced by insulin levels or HOMA-IR.
  • Grip strength is significantly associated with anthropometric characteristics and body composition, suggesting its utility as a functional marker.
  • A fasting insulin cutoff of ≥12 μU/mL is suggested as appropriate for detecting IR in this pediatric population.
Abstract

Keywords:
Insulin resistanceLean massMuscle strengthWaist circumference

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