Social Patterning in Grip Strength, Chair Rise, and Walk Speed in an Aging Population: The Czech HAPIEE Study

Abstract

Background:The aim was to examine the association of objective measures of physical functioning (PF) with education and material circumstances and the decline in PF with age by socioeconomic position (SEP). Methods: In 3,205 subjects (60-75 years) from the Czech Republic, we assessed relationship between PF, SEP, and age. Linear regression was used to assess PF measures and SEP measures. Results: Crosssectional decline in PF by age was similar in all individuals. Differences between SEP groups were similar across age groups, except for the difference in walk speed by material circumstances in men-bigger at older ages (p = .004). Men and women with the highest education were about 2 s faster at the chair rise test than those with the lowest education. Discussion: Findings suggest strong educational gradient in PF, an inconsistent role of self-assessed material circumstances, and virtually no interaction of SEP with the cross-sectional decline in PF by age.

The Influence of Interpersonal Behaviors and Population Density on Grip Strength of Elderly People: An Analysis of the Direct vs. Indirect Effects via Social Participation

“…Of course, there have been some recent studies based on longitudinal data. Specific analyses of the influencing factors of grip strength and muscle atrophy include (1) the impact of PA on grip strength (23,24); (2) the impact of SA on grip strength (17,25); (3) the influence of other individuals' heterogeneity on grip strength, the most important of which is age (26,27); and (4) the relationship between medical indicators and physiological mechanisms, including PA, nutrient intake (protein), oxidative stress, inflammation, and hormone changes, and more systematic therapeutic interventions (14). High levels of serum interleukin (IL)-6, C-reactive protein (CRP), and α1antichymotrypsin (ACT) are associated with decreased muscle strength or muscle mass (muscular sarcopenia) (28).…”

“…By analyzing health data for elderly Europeans, Jancova-Vseteckova et al (17) found that education, professional class, income, and wealth had a predictive effect on male grip strength, while only education and wealth had a predictive effect on female grip strength. However, they provided no further analysis of more complicated impact mechanisms; while they showed that wealth affected grip strength, there was no explanation for the effect.…”

“…It is generally believed that the influencing factors of grip strength include age, physical activity (PA), and social activity (SA) (15,16). Of course, some studies discussed social status, economic conditions, education, and other factors that can affect grip strength through PA and SP (17,18). However, studies with larger samples, examine the mechanisms of these effects and draw more precise conclusions are needed.…”