Strong or Weak Handgrip? Normative Reference Values for the German Population across the Life Course Stratified by Sex, Age, and Body Height

Autor(en)

Nadia Steiber

Abstrakt

Handgrip strength is an important biomarker of healthy ageing and a powerful predictor of future morbidity and mortality both in younger and older populations. Therefore, the measurement of handgrip strength is increasingly used as a simple but efficient screening tool for health vulnerability. This study presents normative reference values for handgrip strength in Germany for use in research and clinical practice. It is the first study to provide normative data across the life course that is stratified by sex, age, and body height. The
study used a nationally representative sample of test participants ages 17±90. It was based on pooled data from five waves of the German Socio-Economic Panel (2006±2014) and involved a total of 11,790 persons living in Germany (providing 25,285 observations). Handgrip strength was measured with a Smedley dynamometer. Results showed that peak mean values of handgrip strength are reached in men's and women's 30s and 40s after which handgrip strength declines in linear fashion with age. Following published recommendations, the study used a cut-off at 2 SD below the sex-specific peak mean value across the life course to define a `weak grip'. Less than 10% of women and men aged 65-69 were classified as weak according to this definition, shares increasing to about half of the population aged 80±90. Based on survival analysis that linked handgrip strength to a relevant outcome, however, a `critically weak grip' that warrants further examination was
estimated to commence already at 1 SD below the group-specific mean value.

Organisation(en)

Institut für Wirtschaftssoziologie

Externe Organisation(en)

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

Journal

PLoS ONE

Band

11

Anzahl der Seiten

14

ISSN

1932-6203

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0163917

Publikationsdatum

10-2016

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

504006 Demographie, 509005 Gerontologie, 504030 Wirtschaftssoziologie

Schlagwörter

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all), General, Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)

Link zum Portal

https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/de/publications/strong-or-weak-handgrip-normative-reference-values-for-the-german-population-across-the-life-course-stratified-by-sex-age-and-body-height(271296d5-6eb1-4e1e-ba7e-095f0dea9416).html