Open AccessAssociation between grip strength and anthropometric characteristics in the community-dwelling elderly population in Taiwan
Author(s) -
Ming-Hsun Lin,
Chun-Yung Chang,
Chieh-Hua Lu,
Da Wu,
Feng-Chih Kuo,
Che-Chun Kuo,
Nain-Feng Chu
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0260763
Subject(s) - waist , anthropometry , grip strength , medicine , body mass index , sarcopenia , circumference , demography , gerontology , population , physical therapy , environmental health , geometry , mathematics , sociology
Background Sarcopenia and muscle weakness in elderly are contributed burden of public health and impact on quality of life. Weak grip strength was key role in diagnosis of sarcopenia and reported increased mortality, function declined in elderly. This study evaluated the association between GS and each common anthropometric characteristic in community-dwelling elderly. Design and method From 2017 to 2019, we conducted a community-based health survey among the elderly in Chiayi county, Taiwan. Participants were 65 years old or older, and total of 3,739 elderly subjects (1,600 males and 2,139 females) with a mean age of 76 years (range 65–85 years old) were recruited. General demographic data and lifestyle patterns were measured using a standard questionnaire. Anthropometric characteristics such as body height, body weight, body mass index (BMI), body waist and hip circumference, and body fat were measured by standard methods. GS was measured using a digital dynamometers (TKK5101) method. Results The mean GS was 32.8 ± 7.1 kg for males and 21.6 ± 4.8 kg for females (p < 0.001). For both sexes, elderly subjects with the same body weight but smaller body waist circumference had greater GS. The subjects with the same body waist size but heavier weight had greater GS. Furthermore, after adjusting for age, lifestyles, disease status, and potential anthropometric variable, multivariate regression analyses indicated that BMI was positively associated with GS (for males, beta = 0.310 and for females beta = 0.143, both p < 0.001) and body waist was negatively associated with GS (for males, beta = −0.108, p < 0.001; for females, beta = −0.030, p = 0.061). Conclusions This study suggested that old adults with higher waist circumstance had weaker GS. Waist circumstance was negatively associated with GS, body weight was positively associated with GS in contrast. It may implies that central obesity was more important than overweight for GS in elderly.