Sex difference and relationship among peak grip strength, grip strength and arthropometric measures in dominant and non-dominant hands of children aged 4-16 in Southeast Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: Hand dominance is a term that describes a preference to use one hand more than the other for everyday tasks. It could be described as the phenomenon that occurs when one hand is preferred to the other for fine motor skills tasks. Hand grip strength is a physiological variable that is affected by a number of factors including age, gender and body size. The aim of this study was to obtain relationship among Peak grip strength, grip strength and anthropometric measures in the dominant and non-dominant hands of Children in Nnewi, Southeast Nigeria.
Method: A total of 575 children, aged 4-16, were studied. Each child’s weight, height, age, and hand length were recorded. Their peak grip strength and grip strength were measured on the dominant and the non-dominant hand with the participants seated on a chair with elbow flexed at 900, and forearm in a semi-prone position using Woliobiao hand-held dynamometer.
Result: The results showed that grip strength increased with age except in age 13 in boys and age 15 in girls, where the grip strength in age 12 was higher than at 13 in boys, and the grip strength of 14 years was higher than that of 15years in girls in the dominant hands. In the non-dominant hand, the grip strength increased with age except in age 5 and age 15 in girls where the grip strength at 4 years and 14 years respectively were higher. The anthropometric traits correlated positively with grip strength on both dominant and nondominant hands. Boys also show more strength in their Peak and Grip strength on both dominant and non-dominant hands more than females. Peak grip strength in dominant hands was higher than those of the non-dominant hands across gender. Strong relationship
existed between grip strength, peak grip strength and the anthropometric measures-weight, height and in particular hand length.
Conclusion: Strong relationship exists between grip strength, peak grip strength, and the anthropomrtric measusures (weight, height, and in particular hand length) in children and adolescents of Southeast Nigeria

Keywords: Peak grip strength, Grip strength ,Dominant hand, Non-dominance hand