A Pilot Study of Five Types of Maximum Hand Strength among Manufacturing Industry Workers in Taiwan

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study is to collect five types of maximum hand strength among workers in the manufacturing industry in Taiwan. Methods: This study is a cross sectional study with a stratified and convenient sample of workers on the production line in manufacturing industries in Central Taiwan. In total, we recruited 198 healthy subjects to participate in this study. Five types of hand strength were measured in both hands three times with 3 min rests between trials. Results: The strength of females for these five types of hand exertions were 52.0% to 67.6% of the strength of males (p < 0.001). For both genders, there was a main effect for the types of hand strength for the right hand (p < 0.001) and the left hand (p < 0.001). In general, the hand strength in U.S. and EU countries was 1.2 to 1.7 times greater than the strength among the three types of hand exertions in this study. Conclusion: These results can be used to evaluate the musculoskeletal burdens on the upper extremities in the manufacturing industry and could also be used for tool and job design and job modifications.

Normative Hand Strength of Healthcare Industry Workers in Central Taiwan

“…Consistent with the findings of several previous studies, the results of this study showed that hand strength in both hands were significantly greater in males than in females [ 2 , 5 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 19 , 24 , 26 , 36 , 37 , 38 ]. Female hand strength was between 59.1% and 73% of male hand strength for both hands.…”

“…The inability to generalize the developed grip strength equations to populations involving different ethnic groups, occupations, and types of tasks is another limitation of this study. Lo et al already reported the same types of hand motions in the manufacturing industry [ 26 ]. Future studies are needed to include other industries.…”

“…We compared the hand strength of workers in the healthcare and manufacturing industries in Taiwan [ 26 ]. There were significant differences in grip strength, ball of thumb strength, thumb press strength and palmar pinch strength in both hands between the different occupations among males ( Table 5 ).…”

“…Among the strength of five hand movements measured in employees in the healthcare industry, the order ranked from strongest to weakest for the right hand was as follows: grip, lateral pinch, ball of thumb, palmar pinch, and thumb press. As mentioned in previous studies, grip strength uses the muscles of the forearm, so it exerts the strongest force of the five different types, and the lateral pinch force is greater than the palmar pinch force [ 5 , 6 , 26 ]. Fewer muscle groups are used to perform the thumb press than the ball of thumb press, and the force exerted is consequently smaller.…”

“…Schaub et al [ 25 ] measured strength in the manufacturing industry employees in several EU countries. Lo et al [ 26 ] measured grip and pinch strength among Taiwanese workers in the manufacturing industry.…”