Influence of body and hand anthropometric characteristics on handgrip strength in young Nigerian women

Abstract

Background and aim Women are well known for having lower handgrip strength (HGS) compared to men. However, factors contributing to lower HGS in women remain unclear. This study investigated the influence of body and hand anthropometric characteristics (HAC) on HGS among young Nigerian undergraduate women. Methods Apparently healthy 500 young female adults from a Nigerian University were recruited conveniently. Age and physical characteristics were recorded. Right and left (R&L) HGS were measured using an electronic dynamometer. HAC including R&L arm girth (ArG), forearm girth (FaG), wrist girth (WrG), finger span (FSp), finger breath (FBr), finger length (FLg) and palm length (PLg) were measured. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Alpha level was set at p < 0.05. Results The mean age of the participants was 22.46 ± 3.72 years. Age and body mass index (BMI) contributed about 20.0 and 12.0% to the prediction of HGS, respectively. Similarly, R&L HAC: ArG, FaG, WrG, FSp, FBr, FLg and PLg contributed about 22.8 and 14.8% to the prediction of HGS, respectively. Significant correlations occurred between HGS and each of BMI, R&L HAC (p < .05). Furthermore, significant correlations were also found between age and each of R&L HAC (p < .001). Conclusions Age, BMI and HAC have significant influence on the HGS of young Nigerian undergraduate women. Hence, physical factors such as weight, height, BMI, and hand anthropometric measurements are recommended as part of routine assessment for effective rehabilitation plans in the care of women with hand disability or poor hand function.