Assessment of handgrip strength in healthy African subjects: Establishing age and gender stratified reference values

Abstract

Background: The handgrip strength assesses hand function in traumatic and non‑traumatic upper extremity conditions. It is also a surrogate marker for other systemic diseases unrelated to the upper limb. Various reference values have been established in different world regions, with few studies in our population. Aim: To determine the average handgrip strength by gender and age categories among healthy subjects in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: It was a cross‑sectional study assessing handgrip strength by age category (ten‑year bin width), gender, and handedness in 210 healthy persons aged 10 to 79 in Nigeria. Its relationship with age, height, weight, mid‑arm circumference, triceps skinfold thickness, and mid‑arm muscle area was evaluated using multiple linear regression. Results: The mean handgrip strength in the dominant and non‑dominant hands was 31.09 kg and 28.45 kg, respectively, P < 0.001. Males have higher values than females in all age categories. The grip strength peaked in the 30–39-year age group in both genders and declined afterward. Age exhibited a nonlinear pattern but had an overall negative relationship, while height was positively related to grip strength in both genders. In contrast, mid‑arm circumference and mid‑arm muscle area predicted handgrip strength only in males. Triceps skinfold thickness was excluded from the model because of multicollinearity with the mid‑arm muscle area, while weight did not predict grip strength in either gender. Conclusion: The handgrip strength in this study is less than that in western literature. Hence, test interpretation should reference the values from this study.