Main Article Content

Cardio-metabolic health in relation to handgrip strength and walking speed in overweight South African women


N.E. Brooks
D.L. Christensen
M. Overvad
E.W. Lehmann
J.T. Viljoen
K.H. Myburgh

Abstract

Background: There is increasing concern with rising levels of obesity in lowand middle–income-countries due to the association between cardio-metabolic abnormalities, obesity and accompanying poor physical health.


Objective: This study aimed to investigate the independent associations between cardio-metabolic parameters (plasma glucose, insulin  sensitivity, blood pressure, lipid profile), handgrip strength (HS) and walking speed (WS) in overweight and obese black South African (SA)  peri-urban women adjusting for confounders.


Participants/setting: Sixty-five black SA women participated.


Main outcome measurements/design: Information from fasting blood samples, blood pressure, anthropometrics, HS and six-minute  walk test were gathered, age and body mass index (BMI)-adjusted linear regression models assessed the associations between physical  performance (HS, WS) and cardio-metabolic indices.


Results: Mean age 36.8 (23-66) years and mean BMI 34.0 (25.0-51.4) kg · m-2 . A high proportion of participants were insulin resistant  (67%), had dyslipidemia (84%) and hypertension (46%). The ratio between fasting serum insulin and HS was significant (eB=0.39, p<0.041),  and the ratio between QUICKI and HS was borderline significant (eB=1.14, p=0.057), none of the ratio estimates between WS and the cardio-metabolic parameters were statistically significant.


Conclusions: Cardio-metabolic health parameters are weakly  associated with HS, but not with WS in overweight and obese African women. 


Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 0012-835X