Abstract
Background: The incidence of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease among adolescents is increasing worldwide. Adolescents are also known to have sarcopenia along with these conditions. Measuring handgrip strength is a useful method to evaluate sarcopenia. No study has shown the trends of muscle quality (handgrip-to-weight) among Korean adolescents by year. This study aimed to determine the trends of handgrip strength among Korean adolescents using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES).Methods: Data of 2,304 adolescents (1,227 boys; 1,077 girls; age, 10–18 years) who participated in the KNHANES between 2014 and 2017 were obtained. Muscle quality was estimated by dividing handgrip strength by body weight (handgrip-to-weight ratio). The handgrip-to-weight ratios were categorized by age, sex, and year. Results: Handgrip strength in adolescents decreased from 28.67kg in 2014 to 27kg in 2017. (P for trend<0.05) The handgrip-to-weight ratio also decreased from 51.48 in 2014 to 48.18 in 2017 (P for trend<0.05). The handgrip strength and handgrip-to-weight ratio also decreased significantly among boys and girls over the years 2014–2017 (P for trend<0.05). Conclusions: The results of the present study indicate that the handgrip-to-weight ratio decreased in Korean adolescents from the years 2014 to 2017, and a declining overall ratio indicates a decrease in the quality of muscles among Korean adolescents. Hence, there is a need to review the health status of Korean adolescents, and measures should be taken to prevent its deterioration.
Assessments of nutrient intake and metabolic profiles in Korean adolescents according to exercise regularity using data from the 2008 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey