ESTIMATION OF HANDGRIP STRENGTH AND ITS CORRELATIONS WITH SELECTED ANTHROPOMETRIC VARIABLES IN MIDDLE AGED ELDERLY INDIAN POPULATION

The purpose of the present study was to establish and compare a preliminary baseline for the effects of aging on handgrip strength of healthy middle aged males and females. A total of purposively selected 1054 middle aged individuals from both sexes, aged 41 - 60 years (546, 301 males and 245 females) and 51-60 years (508, 265 males and 243 females) were taken from various blocks of Punjab, India as samples. Dominant and non-dominant handgrip strength and three anthropometric measurements, viz. height, weight and BMI were taken on each subject by following standard techniques. In results, descriptive statistics showed a decrease in both dominant and non-dominant handgrip strength with the progression of age both in Indian males and females. Statistically significant differences (p<0.001) of dominant and non-dominant handgrip strength were noted with all the anthropometric variables studied in both the age groups (except BMI in age group 51 - 60 years in females). In spite of lower mean values for height and weight in females, the ratio of height to weight was not much striking for the age group 51 - 60 years as that in the age group 41 - 50 years. Also, significant correlations (p<0.014 – 0.001) of dominant handgrip strength were observed with all the anthropometric variables studied. It might be concluded that in age group 41 - 60 years, handgrip strength was highly predictive of functional limitations and disability as it decreased with age.