Hand grip strength in young adults: association with obesity-related anthropometric variables

Aim: The aims of this study were to evaluate hand grip strength in young adults, to examine its relationship with anthropometric values, and to determine which values are predictive. Subject and methods: This prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted with 913 healthy young adults aged 18–30 years. A questionnaire form was administered in face-to-face interviews, and anthropometric measurements including height, body weight, waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), mid-upper arm circumference (MAC), neck circumference (NC), triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), and hand grip strength (kg) were performed for each participant. Results: Hand grip strength was significantly higher for men than for women (p < 0.001), and was also higher in obese and overweight people compared to underweight participants (p < 0.001). Hand grip strength was correlated with weight, height, body mass index, MAC, TSF, WC, and NC (p < 0.001). The predictive ability of anthropometric measurements in estimating hand grip strength was thus demonstrated in a large population of healthy young adults. Significant regression was found, with an R2 value of 0.556. Hand grip strength increased by 0.282 kg for each centimeter of height and by 0.135 kg for each centimeter of MAC. The hand grip strength of male participants was 0.424 kg greater than that of females. Height, MAC, TSF, and sex were significant predictors of hand grip strength. Conclusion: According to our results, variability in hand grip strength among healthy subjects can be explained by height, MAC, TSF, WC, HC, age, and sex. The estimation of hand grip strength could be established based on these demographic and anthropometric variables.