February 2025; Vol. 14, No. 1: Pages 6-9
Tracking handgrip strength in kindergarteners and nursery school children
Akemi Abe, Jeremy P. Loenneke, Scott J Dankel, Takashi Abe
Abstract
Handgrip strength (HGS) assesses a child's muscular strength and is also a biomarker of future health. To achieve high HGS by adulthood, observing changes in children's HGS during their development is helpful. However, few studies have yet tracked changes in HGS in young children. Objectives: This study aimed to track the HGS of young children and clarify how children's HGS changes over time. Design: Follow-up study Methods: Ninety-one young children (48 boys and 43 girls) aged 3.5 to 4.5 years participated in an initial HGS measurement and repeated measurements 1 and 2 years later. Tracking of HGS was assessed using Spearman correlation coefficients (r) and Foulkes and Davies' tracking index (γ). Results: The Spearman coefficient (r) of HGS for the first year, from 4 to 5 years of age, was low to moderate (range 0.38-0.59) in boys and girls. However, it was high (range 0.74-0.84) for the second year compared with the first year, from 5 to 6 years of age. The tracking index (γ) ranged from 0.55 to 0.56 for boys and 0.60 to 0.62 for girls (right, left, and average both hands). Conclusion: HGS tracking outcomes for young children were low to moderate based on the two assessments used in this study. Our results indicate that environmental factors, including physical, mental, and cognitive development, may influence changes in HGS in children at this age. However, the target levels at each age required to achieve high HGS by adulthood are still being determined, and further follow-up studies are needed.
Received December 1, 2024; accepted February 13, 2025