FORÇA DO APERTO DE MÃO: FATORES DETERMINANTES EVALORES DE REFERÊNCIA PARA INDIVÍDUOS SADIOS

by BUDZIARECK, MICHELE BERÇÔT

Background & objectives: To determine reference values for healthy adultssubjects and to study the influence of determinants factors for handgrip strength.Methods: Three hundred subjects were studied, aged 18 to 90 years old.The handgrip strength (HS) was assessed by a hand dynamometer, as well as theadductor pollicis muscle (APM) thickness and other anthropometric variables. Theresults were analyzed by age group and gender. A multiple linear regression wasperformed to identify the significant determinant variables of handgrip strength.Results ? HS depends on gender significantly and decreases after 60 yearsold (p<0.001). Different reference values are presented to be used for each genderand age categories, for dominant and non-dominant hand. APM had a highcorrelation with HS (R2=0.71 e 0.70 for DHS and NDHS, respectively. After theadjustment for other variables as sex, age and body mass index, APM was stillsignificantly associated to HS.Conclusion ? Reference values are necessary for using HS as a muscularfunction assessment tool and it should be stratified for gender and age group. Thecombined use of HS and APM may be useful as a nutritional assessment method