PHYSICAL STRENGTH AS A MARKER OF GENERAL HEALTH: HAND DYNAMOMETRY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH AGE, GENDER, BODY MASS INDEX, AND FATIGUE SEVERITY

Abstract

Aim: To compare right- and left-hand grip strength measured with a Jamar dynamometer and to examine its relationships with age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) score among adults attending a diabetes health screening camp. Methods: This cross-sectional study was a secondary analysis of anonymized data from a community diabetes health screening camp. Adults aged 23–61 years were assessed with a Jamar hydraulic dynamometer (mean of three trials per hand), the FSS, and measured height and weight. Spearman correlations and multiple linear regression with robust (HC3) standard errors were used. The analyses were exploratory. Results: Sixty-six adults (46 women, 20 men; mean age 34.8 ± 9.1 years) were analysed. Men had greater grip strength than women on both sides (right: 83.2 vs 52.2 lb; left: 79.3 vs 50.6 lb; both p < .001), and the hands did not differ. Age and BMI were not correlated with grip strength. Grip strength was inversely correlated with FSS score (right ρ = −.27, p = .028; left ρ = −.26, p = .035). In adjusted models, male gender was the strongest predictor; the FSS association was borderline for the left hand (p = .048) and non-significant for the right hand (p = .221). Conclusion: Gender was the primary correlate of grip strength, whereas age, BMI, and hand side were not substantially related to it. Lower grip strength was marginally associated with higher fatigue, an exploratory finding. Larger studies including glycaemic status, hand dominance, and older adults are needed.