Measuring grip strength in adolescents and adults with cerebral palsy in a clinic setting: Feasibility, reliability, and clinical associations

Abstract

AimTo determine the feasibility and reliability of measuring grip strength and its association with anthropometrics and diseases among adolescents and adults (≥16 years old) with cerebral palsy (CP).MethodIn this cross‐sectional study, individuals with CP, classified in Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS)/Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) levels I to V, were recruited to measure grip strength, anthropometrics, and self‐reported current/history of disease during a routine clinical visit. Feasibility was determined as the proportion recruited/consented/completed testing. Test–retest reliability of three maximal effort trials per side was assessed. Linear regression determined associations of grip strength with anthropometrics after adjusting for age, sex, and GMFCS. The predictive ability of GMFCS alone, grip strength alone, GMFCS + grip strength, and GMFCS × grip strength for diseases was compared.ResultsOf 114 individuals approached, 112 participated and 111 successfully completed all tasks. There was good to excellent reliability of test–retest grip strength between trials for dominant and non‐dominant sides for the entire cohort and when stratified by each GMFCS and MACS level (intraclass correlation coefficient range 0.83–0.97). Sex, GMFCS, MACS, body mass, and waist circumference were associated with grip strength (p < 0.05), but not hip circumference, waist:hip ratio, or triceps skinfold thickness. Modeling grip strength with GMFCS had a higher predictive value for relevant diseases than GMFCS alone.InterpretationGrip strength is a feasible and reliable measurement for CP, and is associated with some demographics and anthropometric measures. Grip strength, in addition to the GMFCS, enhanced prediction of disease outcomes.

Impact of Hand Grip and Sit-And-Reach Exercises in Children Aged 6-7 Years

“…), and specific motor skills (e.g., grasping skills, visuomotor integration skills, object manipulation skills, etc.) Evidence does not support Correlations between these indicators (Sugiyama et al, 2023). There is a significant correlation between the following anthropometric dimensions (stature, sitting hip breadth, wrist circumference, hand circumference, and heel ankle circumference) and hand grip strength (Nurul Shahida et al, 2015).…”

“…Physical fitness is a crucial aspect of child development, contributing to overall health and well-being (Sciaraffa et al, 2018;Tulchin-Francis et al, 2021). Assessing and understanding the physical capabilities of children is essential for designing appropriate interventions and promoting healthy lifestyles (Cornish et al, 2020;Masini et al, 2020;Ortega et al, 2008) Hand grip strength and sit-and-reach flexibility are two commonly used measures to evaluate upper body strength and flexibility (Sugiyama et al, 2023), respectively, in children. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the hand grip and sit-and-reach exercises performed by a group of 70 children aged 6-7 years old.…”

“…in children, with a focus on exploring the correlation between grip strength and physical dexterity (sit-and-reach) in 6-7-year-old children and investigating whether grip strength can be a prognostic indicator of seated physical dexterity. Most of the correlation analyses of various types of physical literacy, physical fitness, and motor skills in the children's field are overall generalized studies (Saunders et al, 2018;Sugiyama et al, 2023), mainly presenting the overall correlation of the three major segments of physical qualities, physical activity, and motor skills, for specific physical literacy (e.g., grip strength, core strength, speed, and agility, etc. ), specific physical activities (conducive to walking, running, and being sedentary, etc.…”