scholarly journals Handgrip strength in medical students: Correlation with body mass index and hand dimensions

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-26
Author(s):  
Jasim N Al-Asadi

Background: Handgrip is a predictor of physical fitness, hand functions, and nutritional status. It is affected by many factors including age, sex, body mass index, and hand dimensions.Aims and Objectives: To assess the handgrip strength among medical students and to examine its correlation with body mass index and hand dimensions.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 256 students of both sexes selected from College of Medicine, Basrah University, Iraq using non-probability purposive sampling method. Their anthropometric parameters including height, weight, and hand dimensions were assessed using routine techniques. The handgrip was measured by using a handheld dynamometer. Hand preference was determined by asking which hand was used to write.Results: The mean age of the participants was 21.1 ± 1.9 years. The mean of handgrip strength was 34.1 ± 11.9 Kg. Males had significantly (P <0.001) greater handgrip strength than females. Statistically significant correlation was detected between body mass index, hand dimensions and handgrip strength. The right-handed students scored significantly higher grip strength with their preferred hand. While among left-handed students, no significant difference in handgrip strength was noticed between left and right hands. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that gender, hand span, height, and body mass index were independent determinants of handgrip strength. They accounted for 70.6% of the variation in handgrip strength.Conclusion: A significant effect of body mass index and hand span on handgrip strength among medical students was observed.Asian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol.9(1) 2018 21-26

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 57-61
Author(s):  
Lava Shrestha ◽  
Sanyukta Gurung ◽  
Neeti Bhat ◽  
Narayan B Mahotra ◽  
Mahesh M Bajimaya ◽  
...  

Introduction Hand grip strength is used in evaluation of muscle strength and is also increasingly being used as an indicator for nutritional status. The maximum force applied voluntarily by the subject is called maximum handgrip strength, which is measured in kilograms. Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle or muscle group to perform against a load for an extended period of time, measured in seconds. This study aims to correlate body mass index with handgrip strength and handgrip endurance in medical students. MethodsThis is a cross sectional, observational study which included 74 undergraduate students of Maharajgunj Medical Campus by convenient sampling method. Body mass index was calculated by Quetelet’s formula. Camry digital hand dynamometer was used to measure handgrip strength in the dominant hand in kilograms. Participants were instructed to hold dynamometer with maintained pressure of 30% of maximum handgrip strength for as long as possible to determine the handgrip endurance. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS Statistics software. ResultsThe handgrip strength was more in males than females with a mean of 43.09±3.72 kg, while handgrip endurance was more in females with a mean of 123.60±50.65 sec. Positive correlation was seen between body mass index and handgrip strength (r=0.23 and p=0.045). Body mass index and handgrip endurance also showed positive correlation (r=0.34 and p=0.003). ConclusionSignificant correlation of body mass index with handgrip strength and handgrip endurance was seen in medical students.


MedPharmRes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 27-33
Author(s):  
Uyen Phuong Truong ◽  
Lan-Anh Thi Pham ◽  
Ngoc Van Anh Huynh ◽  
Thi Van Tran ◽  
Gia Kien To

Introduction: This study assessed the validation of Body Mass Index (BMI) against Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), and identify the prevalence of malnutrition and its associated factors in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) inpatients at Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to consecutively select COPD inpatients based on medical records and consultancy with doctors. A structured questionnaire was designed to collect socio-demographic characteristics, health status and comorbidities, nutritional status, and handgrip strength. Nutritional status was assessed using SGA and BMI. Handgrip strength was measured using a hand dynamometer. Health status was collected from medical records. Results: The mean age of 83 COPD inpatients recruited in this study was 67 (SD=10.4) years. Most of the sample population was ≥60 years old (75%), male (86%), Kinh ethnic (89%), married (72%), not currently working (70%), and less than junior high school (81%). Nearly 68% had at least one comorbidity and 27% were active smokers. The mean handgrip strength was 21.6 kg (SD=8.7), and mean weight was 53.9 kg (SD=10.0). The mean BMI was 20.4 kg/m2 (SD=3.4) with 58% having BMI <21 kg/m2. SGA provided the prevalence of malnutrition of 65%. Age-group, BMI and handgrip strength were associated with malnutrition. A BMI cut-off point of <21 kg/m2 provided the highest ROC area of 84% (95%CI: 76%-92%). Conclusion: Malnutrition is common in COPD inpatients. This study confirms findings of previous studies that a BMI cut-off point of <21 kg/m2 was sensitive and specific for screening malnutritional risk at bedside.


Author(s):  
Guwani Liyanage ◽  
H. D. Siriwardana ◽  
C. A. Wettasinghe ◽  
M. K. H. N. Kumarasiri ◽  
T. K. I. Niwanthika

Background: Balanced and healthy nutrition is needed in order to avert adverse effects of poor eating practices. Children and adults often miss breakfast due to many reasons including lack of time. Evidence indicates that breakfast consumption is more beneficial than skipping breakfast following a long overnight fast. Its effect on cognitive function is still under debate. Our aim was to conduct a preliminary study to investigate breakfast habits and its effect of certain aspects of cognition in medical students in a university in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Methods: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study. We assessed breakfast eating practices of final year medical students. Self-administered and questionnaire and trail making test for visual attention, task switching, speed of processing, and executive functioning were used as study instruments. Results: Results of 121 students were analysed. 55.4% skipped breakfast at least a day. Of them, 21% had their breakfast ≤3 days a week. Majority consumes a local meal based on rice or wheat flour. Commonest reason for missing the morning meal was lack of time (n=53, 79.1%). There was no significant difference was found in mean BMI and trail making score between breakfast skippers and non-skippers. Conclusions: Skipping breakfast among final year medical students is common. Lack of time due to busy schedules is highlighted as a possible reason for this. Skipping breakfast did not affect some aspects of cognition and body mass index significantly. A more comprehensive case control study among medical students, exploring neuro cognitive function related to breakfast habits is worthwhile.  


2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Siswanto Basuki ◽  
Madarina Julia ◽  
Soeroyo Machfudz

Background : Obese children are more likely to have less testosterone, which may lead to disorder of penile development.Objectives : To assess the association between obesity in children and the occurrence of micropenis. Methods : TA cross sectional study was carried out in 36 obese and 28 non- obese pubertal male children (10-13 years old) and 49 obese and 36 non-obese prepubertal male children (4-7 years old). Obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) equivalent to or above the 95th percentile of the CDC 2000 growth reference standard. Length of the penis was measured perpendicular to the surface of the os symphysis pubis to the tip of the glans penis. Skinfold thickness was measured on the area of mons pubis using a caliper. Volume of the testis was measured using an orchidometer. Results : The mean (SD) of penis length in 36 pubertal obese and 28 non-obese children were 5.56 (1.14) cm and 6.05 (1.37) cm, respectively; whereas the mean (SD) of penis length in 49 pre-pubertal obese and 39 non-obese children were 5.09 (0.76) cm and 5.36 (0.56) cm, respectively. There was significant difference in the mean (95% CI) length of penis in pubertal obese and non-obese children (p = 0.04). Fisher's exact test showed that the occurrence of micropenis was not associated with obesity, age, fat thickness on mons pubis, and volume of the testicles.Conclusion : There was no significant difference in the occurrence of micropenis, but there was significant difference in the mean length of penis in obese children and children with normal age-related body mass index. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (B) ◽  
pp. 1586-1590
Author(s):  
Rehab Sabry ◽  
Tamer M. Kolib ◽  
Marwa Ahmed ◽  
Heba G. Elnahas

BACKGROUND: Mastalgia is a common complaint in females aged 30–50 years. Mastalgia varies in degrees of severity. The quality of life of women may be adversely affected by severe mastalgia. It was associated with disturbance in sexual, social, and physical activities and behaviors. AIM: The main objective of this study is to investigate factors affecting mastalgia. METHODS: This is an analytical cross-sectional study. Conducted on 148 females attending the Family Medicine outpatient clinic. Mastalgia was assessed by new breast pain score. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 32.6 and their mean body mass index (BMI) was 24.8. The majority of the cases were highly educated 48% and working 58.1%. There was a highly statistically significant difference between females with mild pain and those of moderate to severe pain regarding to BMI as the mean of BMI in patient with mild pain was 22.7 ± 2.5 while it was 27.6 ± 3.1., there was highly statistically significant difference between both groups as regards to the type of the contraception used that means females who used hormonal contraception had more pain. After logistic regression the only remaining significant factor was BMI 0.001. CONCLUSION: There are many factors affecting mastalgia as BMI, type of contraception, menstrual regularity, menstrual duration, breast pain duration, and premenstrual symptoms. But BMI is the most important factor affecting mastalgia.


Author(s):  
Yahaya Abdullahi ◽  
Talatu Audu ◽  
Daniel Ter Goon

Introduction: Normative data on handgrip strength (HGS) and body mass index (BMI) are scarce among adolescents in the Nigerian context. The aims of this study were to evaluate patterns of HGS in relation to gender and age in Nigerian adolescents and its correlation with BMI.Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 1966 participants (1275 males) and (691 females) aged 12–20 years in Northern Nigeria. Body mass and height were measured. HGS was assessed using a dynamometer.Results: The right HGS (RHGS) was significantly higher than the left HGS (LHGS) (t = 21.337, p < 0.05). There were significant age differences in the RHGS and the LHGS (p < 0.05); however, no significant difference occurs at 12–14 years. Males participants aged 16–20 years had significantly higher RHGS values than females of the same age (p < 0.0038). Conversely, males aged 15–20 years had significantly higher LHGS values than females of the same age (p < 0.0038). There was a significant interaction between gender and age for the RHGS (F = 72.2, p < 0.05) and the LHGS (F = 92.1, p < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between the BMI and RHGS (r = 0.480, p < 0.01) and the LHGS (r = 0.465, p < 0.01).Conclusion: There are gender and age difference in the HGS of Nigerian adolescents, with the dominance of the RHGS in both genders. HGS correlated with BMI. This normative data on HGS may serve as baseline data for future comparative studies assessing HGS among the adolescent population in Nigeria.


Author(s):  
V. V. Kucheryavchenko

In recent years, the concept of "metabolic syndrome" has become more spreading, and in parallel with disorders of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, endothelial dysfunction is no less significant. The aim of our work was to analyze changes in homocysteine (HC) as a marker of metabolic syndrome in patients with an increased body mass index (IBMI) in polytrauma. The study involved 224 patients with polytrauma, who had different initial values of body mass index (BMI) and were treated at the polytrauma department and the intensive care unit for patients with combined injuries for a period from 1 day to 1 year since the moment of injury. All the patients were subjected to identifying the level of serum HC. The patients had the same severity according to the APACHE II scale, 14 ± 5.8, at the admission to the hospital, and were divided into 3 stratified clinical groups depending on the initial values of anthropometric parameters and BMI. The study was conducted on the 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 360 days from the date of polytrauma. Assessment of blood serum HC was performed by ELISA. It was found that the overweight patients with BMI ≤ 29.9 demonstrated an increase in the mean values of blood HC on the 7th and 14th days of the treatment, with a further decrease on the 15th day since the date of injury. For the patients with BMI within the range of 30.0 - 39.9, the persistence of the HC index during the first month of the treatment at baseline with an increase on the 360th day was found out. The patients with BMI ˃ 40.0 showed an increase in the level of blood HC through the year since the date of polytrauma. It was revealed that the level of HС directly affects the course of traumatic disease in patients with increased BMI, its severity in terms of uniformity of injuries received and the same range of severity according to the APACHE II scale depends on BMI at the admission to the hospital.


2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 603-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trenda D. Ray ◽  
Angela Green ◽  
Karen Henry

AbstractBackgroundChildren with congenital cardiac disease experience challenges in developing healthy patterns of physical activity due to decreased exercise capacity and parental fear and confusion about what is permissible. The purpose of this study was to describe physical activity habits in children 10–14 years of age with congenital cardiac disease and the relationship of those habits to obesity as defined by body mass index.MethodsThis cross-sectional study used self-report measures and clinical data to describe the association between physical activity participation and body mass index in 10- to 14-year-old children with congenital cardiac disease. Further, physical activity levels were compared between children who were overweight or obese and those who were not.ResultsChildren (n = 84; 51 males; 33 females) reported low rates of physical activity compared to reports on healthy children. Only 9.5% were overweight (body mass index between the 85th and 94th percentile), and alarmingly 26% were obese (body mass index at or above the 95th percentile). Physical activity and body mass index were not significantly correlated (r = −0.11, p = 0.45) and there was no significant difference in mean physical activity (t = 0.67) between children who were overweight or obese and those who were not.ConclusionsChildren in this study reported low rates of physical activity and a higher obesity rate than was reported in previous studies. However, the two were not significantly correlated. Further research is indicated to determine the specific factors contributing to obesity and to test interventions to combat obesity in children with congenital cardiac disease.


Author(s):  
Yangchang Zhang ◽  
Yang Xiong ◽  
Jia Dong ◽  
Tingting Guo ◽  
Xiaoman Tang ◽  
...  

Background: This paper investigates the problems regarding caffeinated drinks intake, late chronotype, and increased body mass index (BMI) among medical students at a Chinese university. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 with 616 medical students from Chongqing Medical University in Chongqing, China, whose information were collected by a self-reported questionnaire that included four sections: Demographic characteristics; Caffeinated drinks intake and physical state; Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire; Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21. Multiple mediation analyses were conducted to test the impact of late chronotype on increased BMI through caffeinated drinks consumption through two models. Results: The significantly mediated effect of caffeinated drinks consumption was revealed (estimate: −0.01, SE = 0.01, 95% CI [−0.02, −0.01]), and which played a positive role in linking late chronotype (B = −0.01, SE = 0.01, p < 0.001) and increased BMI (B = 1.37, SE = 0.21, p < 0.01), but their significant association did not be found in reversed model. In addition, physical activity and inactivity times demonstrated significant indirect effects in the two models. Conclusions: Interventions should focus on reducing caffeinated drinks intake and sedentary behavior time, enhancing physical activity among medical students.


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