Background
Methods
Eligibility criteria
Results
Description of HGS measurement
Study details | Author | Sample | Size | Age | Dynamometer | Repetitions | Hand | Posture | Shoulder position | Elbow position | Wrist position | Handle position | Encouragement | Acquisition time | Rest time | HGS analysis | Cut-off values |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cross-sectional study Toulouse and Lyon, France | Abellan van Kan et al. [52] | Community-dwelling older women from the EPIDOS cohort | 3025 | ≥75 | Martin vigorimeter, Medizin Tecnik, Tuttlingen, Germany | 3 | Dominant | Standing upright | Adducted | 180° | – | Adjusted to a comfortable position | – | – | – | Higher value | Lowest 25% |
Cross-sectional study Turkey | Akin et al. [53] | Community-dwelling older adults from KEHES Study | 879 | ≥60 | Takei TKK 5401 digital handgrip dynamometer, Takei, Niigata-City, Japan | 3 | Dominant | Standing upright | Adducted | 90° | – | – | – | – | – | Higher value | Fried’s criteria*
|
Cross-sectional study S. Paulo, Brazil | Alexandre Tda et al. [54] | Older urban population from the SABE Study | 1149 | ≥60 | Takei Kiki Kogyo TK 1201, Tokyo, Japan | 2 | Dominant | Sitting position | – | Resting on the table (forearms too) | Palms facing up | Adjusted to a comfortable position | – | – | 1 min | Higher value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf |
Cross-sectional study Milan, Italy | Barichella et al. [55] | Consecutive patients from a specialised tertiary care center | 364 | ≥65 | DynEx digital hand dynamometer, Akern/MD Systems, Florence, Italy | 3 | Dominant | Sitting position | Adducted and neutrally rotated | 90° Forearm neutral | Neutral | – | – | – | – | Mean value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf |
Cross-sectional study The Netherlands | Bastiaanse et al. [56] (a)
| Adults with intellectual disabilities from the HA-ID study | 884 | ≥50 | Jamar hand dynamometer, Sammons Preston Rolyan, USA | 6 | Both | Sitting position | Adducted and neutrally rotated | 90° Forearm neutral | Neutral | 2nd | – | – | 1 min | Higher value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf |
Cross-sectional study Liège, Belgium | Beaudart et al. [57] (d)
| Consecutive outpatients from an osteoporotic and geriatric department of a clinic and community-dwelling older adults | 250 | ≥65 | Hydraulic and pneumatic dynamometer Saehan Corporation, MSD Europe, Bvba, Belgium (calibrated) | 6 | Both | Sitting position | – | Forearms resting on the arms of the chair | Neutral position, over the end of the arm of the chair, thumb facing upwards | Adjusted so that the thumb is round one side of the handle and the four fingers are around the other side | Yes | – | – | Higher value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf |
Cross-sectional study Liège, Belgium | Beaudart et al. [58] (d)
| Community-dwelling older adults from the SarcoPhAge study | 534 | ≥65 | Hydraulic dynamometer Saehan Corporation, MSD Europe, Bvba, Belgium (calibrated) | 6 | Both | Sitting position | – | Forearms resting on the arms of the chair | Neutral position, over the end of the arm of the chair, thumb facing upwards | Adjusted so that the thumb is round one side of the handle and the four fingers are around the other side | Yes | – | – | Higher value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf |
Cross-sectional study The Netherlands | Bijlsma et al. [59] | Young and healthy older Europeans from the Leiden Longevity Study | 654 | 38–82 | Jamar hand dynamometer, Sammons Preston Inc., Bolingbrook, IL, USA | 3 | Dominant | Standing upright | Abducted | 180° | – | Adjusted to hand size (middle phalanx rested on the inner handle) | – | – | – | Higher value | M: <30.3 kgf W: <19.3 kgf |
Cross-sectional study Leiden, The Netherlands; Jyvaskyla, Finland; Tartu, Estonia; Paris, France and Manchester, United Kingdom (UK) | Bijlsma et al. [60] | Middle to older participants from the MYOAGE study | 452 | 18–30/ 69–81 | Jamar hand dynamometer, Sammons Preston, Inc., Bolingbrook, IL, USA | 6 | Both | Standing upright | Abducted | 180° | – | Adjusted to hand size | – | – | – | Higher value | ** |
Cross-sectional study Guelph, Ontario, Canada | Campbell et al. [61] | Assisted-living older adults | 40 | ≥65 | Vernier digital hand dynamometer and collected using LoggerPro software, Vernier, OR, USA; 60 Hz | 6 | Both | Sitting position | Adducted | 90° | Dynamometer vertical | – | Yes | Self-selected pace | – | Higher value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf |
Prospective cohort study Northern Italy | Cerri et al. [62] | Consecutively admitted older inpatients of an Acute Geriatric Clinic, S. Gerardo University Hospital | 103 | ≥65 | Jamar hand dynamometer | 3 | Dominant | Sitting position | Adducted | 90° Forearm neutral | Between 0 and 30° extension | – | – | – | 1 min | Higher value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf |
Cross-sectional study Madrid and Barcelona, Spain | Cuesta et al. [63] (a)
| Geriatric outpatients from the ELLI study | 298 | ≥70 | Jamar hand dynamometer | 3 | Dominant | Sitting position | Adducted and neutrally rotated | 90° Forearm neutral | Neutral | 2nd | – | – | 1 min | Higher value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf |
Cross-sectional study Midwestern United States of America (USA) | Fukuda et al. [64] | Caucasian ambulatory individuals | 107 | 65–89 | DHS-176 digital handgrip dynamometer, Detecto, Webb City, MO | 3 | Dominant | Standing upright | Adducted | 90° | – | – | – | 3 to 5 s | – | Mean value | ** |
Cross-sectional study Spain | Garatachea et al. [65] | Caucasian community-dwelling older adults from two geriatric nursing homes | 81 | 71–93 | Smedley digital hand dynamometer, Sportstek,VIC, Australia | 3 | Non-dominant | Standing upright | Abducted | 180° | – | Adjusted to hand size | – | – | 30 to 60 s | Higher value | ** |
Prospective cohort study Spain | Gonzalez-Montalvo et al. [66] | Consecutive patients hospitalised for hip fracture in a public 1300-bed university hospital | 509 | ≥65 | Jamar hydraulic dynamometer, Sammons Preston, Bolingbrook, IL, USA | 3 | Dominant | Sitting position | – | Forearms resting on the arms of the chair | Neutral, over the end of the arm of the chair, thumb facing upwards | Adjusted so that the thumb is round one side of the handle and the four fingers are around the other side | Yes | – | – | Higher value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf |
Cross-sectional study USA | Gray et al. [67] | Community-dwelling older adults | 43 | ≥65 | Takei Scientific Instruments digital grip strength dynamometer, Niigata City, Japan | 3 | Preferred hand | Standing upright | – | Arms down by the side | Neutral | Interphalangeal joint of the index finger maintained at 90° | Yes | Minimum of 3 s | 1 min | Higher value | ** |
Cross-sectional study Taipei, Taiwan | Han et al. [68] | Healthy volunteers from the Taiwan Fitness for Seniors Study | 878 | ≥65 | Baseline hydraulic dynamometer, Fabrication Enterprises Inc., Irvington, NY, USA | 3 | Dominant | – | Adducted | 90° Forearm neutral | – | – | – | – | – | Higher value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf |
Cross-sectional study 6th district of Tehran, Iran | Hashemi et al. [69] (c)
| Community-dwelling individuals from the SARIR study | 300 | ≥55 | Baseline pneumatic squeeze bulb dynamometer, Jamar, Inc. USA: c7489–02 Rolyan (calibrated) | 6 | Both | Sitting position | Adducted and neutrally rotated | 90° Forearm neutral | Neutral | 2nd | – | – | 30 s | Mean value | Compared with normative data from Merkies et al. [70] |
Cross-sectional study Northern Bavaria, Germany | Kemmler et al. [71] | Community-dwelling German women from the FORMoSA study | 1325 | ≥70 | Jamar hand dynamometer, Sammons Preston Inc., Bollington, USA | 2 | Both | Standing upright | – | Arms down by the side | – | Adjusted to hand size | – | – | – | Higher value | W: <20 kgf |
Prospective cohort study I-Lan County, Taiwan | Lee et al. [72] | Young healthy volunteers and older adults from the I-Lan Longitudinal Ageing Study | 508 | 20–40/ ≥65 | Smedley hand dynamometer, TTM, Tokyo, Japan | 3 | Dominant | Standing upright | Abducted | 180° | – | – | – | – | – | Higher value | M: <22.4 kgf W: <14.3 kgf |
Cross-sectional study Korea | Lee et al. [73] (b)
| Ambulatory women from the University Hospital Menopause Clinic | 196 | ≥65 | Jamar hand dynamometer, Sammons Preston Inc., Bolingbrook, IL, USA | 3 | Dominant | Sitting position | Adducted and neutrally rotated | 90° Forearm neutral | Between 0 and 30° dorsiflexion | 2nd | – | – | – | Mean value | W: <18 kgf |
Cross-sectional study Tamana, Japan | Maeda et al. [74] | Patients admitted to acute phase wards from Tamana Regional Health Medical Center | 224 | ≥65 | Smedley hand dynamometer, TTM, Tokyo, Japan | 2 | Dominant | Standing or sitting position, depending on their ability | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Higher value | M: <26 kgf W: <18 kgf |
Cross-sectional study Salvador, Bahia, Brazil | Martinez et al. [75] | Hospitalised elderly patients in a multi-specialty hospital | 110 | ≥60 | Saehan hydraulic dynamometer, Saehan Corporation, 973, Yangdeok-Dong, Masan 630–728, Korea | 3 | – | Sitting position | – | 90° | – | – | – | – | 1 min | Higher value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf |
Cross-sectional study Guelph, Canada | McIntosh et al. [76] | Community-dwelling older adults | 85 | ≥65 | Vernier digital hand dynamometer and collected using LoggerPro software, Vernier, OR, USA; 60 Hz | 6 | Both | Standing upright | Adducted | 90° | – | – | Yes | – | – | Higher value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf |
Prospective cohort study Reykjavik, Iceland | Mijnarends et al. [77] | Community-dwelling older adults from the AGES-Reykjavik Study | 2309 | 66–93 | Good Strength software, Metitur, Finland | 3 | Dominant | Sitting position | Relaxed | 90°, neutral | Attached by belts to a strain-gauge system, thumb up | – | Yes | 4–5 s | 30 s | – | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf |
Prospective cohort study Seongnam, Korea | Moon et al. [78] | Community-dwelling older adults from the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging | 297 | ≥65 | Jamar hydraulic hand dynamometer, Sammons Preston, Bolingbrook, IL, USA | 2 | Dominant | Sitting position | Adducted | 90° Forearm neutral | – | Adjusted to a comfortable position | – | – | 1 min | Mean value | M: <26 kgf W: <16 kgf |
Cross-sectional study London, Ontario, Canada | Morat et al. [79] | Healthy and independent living older adults from the Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging | 24 | ≥65 | Smedley hand dynamometer, TTM, Tokyo, 100 kg | 6 | Both | Standing upright | – | 90° Forearm neutral | Neutral | – | – | – | Higher value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf | |
Cross-sectional study Goiâna, Brazil | Pagotto et al. [80] (b)
| Community-dwelling older adults | 132 | ≥60 | CROWN hydraulic dynamometer | 2 | Dominant | Sitting position | Adducted and neutrally rotated | 90° | Extended between 0 and 30° dorsiflexion | 2nd | – | 6 s | 1 min | Both values | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf and Fried’s criteria*
|
Cross-sectional study UK | Patel et al. [81] (d)
| Community-dwelling older adults from the Hertfordshire Sarcopenia Study | 1890 | 68–77 | Jamar hand dynamometer | 6 | Both | Sitting position | – | Forearms resting on the arms of the chair | Neutral, over the end of the arm of the chair, thumb facing upwards | Adjusted so that the thumb is round one side of the handle and the four fingers are around the other side | Yes | – | – | Higher value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf |
Cross-sectional study Pavia, Italy | Rondanelli et al. [82] | Older adults consecutively admitted to a physical medicine and rehabilitation division, in Santa Margherita institute | 159 | ≥65 | Jamar 5030 J1 hydraulic hand dynamometer, Sammons Preston Rolyan, Bolingbrook, IL,USA | 4 | – | Sitting position | – | Comfortable arm position | – | – | Yes | 5 s | 1 min | Mean value of the last three efforts | ** |
Prospective cohort study Barcelona, Spain | Sanchez-Rodriguez et al. [83] (d)
| Consecutive hospitalised patients from a postacute care geriatric unit | 100 | ≥70 | Jamar hand dynamometer, Nottinghamshire, UK | 3 | – | Sitting position | – | Forearms resting on the arms of the chair | Neutral, over the end of the arm of the chair, thumb facing upwards | Adjusted so that the thumb is round one side of the handle and the four fingers are around the other side | Yes | – | – | Higher value | Compared with normative data from Luna-Heredia et al. [16] |
Retrospective cohort study Kuopio, Eastern Finland | Sjoblom et al. [84] | Finnish postmenopausal women from the OSTPRE study | 590 | 65–72 | Pneumatic hand-held dynamometer Martin Vigorimeter, Germany | 3 | – | Sitting position | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Mean value | Lowest 25% |
Cross-sectional study Porto, Portugal | Sousa et al. [85] (b)
| Hospitalised adult patients from medical and surgical wards in a general and teaching hospital | 608 | ≥18 | Jamar hydraulic hand dynamometer, Sammons Preston, Bolingbrook, IL, USA (calibrated) | 3 | Non-dominant | Sitting position | Adducted and neutrally rotated | 90° | Between 0 and 30° dorsiflexion | 2nd | – | – | 1 min | Higher value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf |
Cross-sectional study Berlin, Germany | Spira et al. [86] | Community-dwelling older adults from the BASE-II study | 1405 | 60–80 | Smedley hand dynamometer, Scandidact, Denmark | 6 | Both | Standing upright | Adducted and neutrally rotated | 90° Forearm neutral | Neutral | – | – | – | – | Higher value | Fried’s criteria*
|
Cross-sectional study Manchester, UK and Leuven, Belgium | Verschuere et al. [87] (d)
| Men from the European Male Ageing Study | 679 | 40–79 | Jamar hand dynamometer, TEC Inc., Clifton, NJ | 6 | Both | Sitting position | – | Forearms resting on the arms of the chair | Neutral, over the end of the arm of the chair, thumb facing upwards | Adjusted so that the thumb is round one side of the handle and the four fingers are around the other side | Yes | – | – | Higher value | Fried’s criteria*
|
Multicentre cohort study Italy | Vetrano et al. [88] | Older adults admitted to acute care wards, of seven Italian hospitals, from the CRIME study | 770 | ≥65 | North Coast hydraulic hand dynamometer, North Coast Medical Inc., Morgan Hill, CA | 4 | Both | Sitting position or lying at 30° in bed (when unable to sit) | – | 90° or with elbows supported | Neutral | – | – | – | – | Higher value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf |
Cohort study Ankara, Turkey | Yalcin et al. [89] | Residents in Seyranbagları Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center | 141 | ≥65 | Takei Scientific Instruments, Niigata, Japan | 2 | Dominant | – | Abducted (30°) | 180° | Palm perpendicular to the shoulder line | – | – | 5 s | – | Mean value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf |
Cross-sectional study Obu, Aichi, Japan | Yoshida et al. [90] | Community-dwelling older adults from Obu Study of Health Promotion for the Elderly | 4811 | ≥65 | Grip-D hand dynamometer, Takei, Niigata, Japan | 1 | Dominant | Standing upright | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Single value | M: <28.8 kgf W: <18.2 kgf |
Cohort study North west regions and Western suburbs of Adelaide, Australia | Yu et al. [91] | Community-dwelling individuals, from the CASA, FAMAS and NWAHS studies | 1123 | ≥18 | Lafayette Instrument Company, IN, USA (CASA and NWAHS), Smedley, Chicago, IL (FAMAS) | 3 | Dominant | Sitting position | – | Arm supported by a horizontal surface | – | – | – | – | – | Mean value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf |
Study details | Author | Sample | Size | Age | Dynamometer | Repetitions | Hand | Posture | Shoulder position | Elbow position | Wrist position | Handle position | Encouragement | Acquisition time | Rest time | HGS analysis | Cut-off values |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Multicentric prospective cohort study Burgos, Albacete and Madrid, Spain | Abizanda et al. [92] (c)
| Institutionalised older adults, in four nursing homes from the ACTIVNES study | 91 | ≥70 | Jamar hand dynamometer, Sammons Preston Rolyan, Bolingbrook, IL | 3 | – | Sitting position | Adducted and neutrally rotated | 90° Forearm neutral | Neutral | 2nd | – | – | – | Higher value | Fried’s criteria*
|
Cross-sectional study Alexandria, Egypt | Abou-Raya et al. [93] | Consecutive patients with congestive heart failure | 126 | ≥65 | Jamar hand dynamometer | 2 | Dominant | Sitting position | Adducted | 90° | Between 0 and 30° dorsiflexion and 0 and 15° ulnar deviation | 2nd | Yes | – | – | – | M: ≤21 kgf W: ≤14 kgf |
Cross-sectional study USA | Bandeen-Roche et al. [94] | Older adults from the 2011 baseline of the National Health and Aging Trends Study | 7439 | ≥65 | Jamar digital hand dynamometer | 2 | Dominant | Sitting position | Adducted | 90° | Dynamometer or forearm resting on the table | 2nd | Yes | – | – | Higher value | Lowest 20% within 8 sex and BMI categories |
Cross-sectional study The Netherlands | Bastiaanse et al. [56] (a)
| Adults with intellectual disabilities from the HA-ID study | 884 | ≥50 | Jamar hand dynamometer, Sammons Preston Rolyan, USA | 6 | Both | Sitting position | Adducted and neutrally rotated | 90° Forearm neutral | Neutral | 2nd | – | – | 1 min | Higher value | Fried’s criteria*
|
Cross-sectional study Liège, Belgium | Beaudart et al. [58] (d)
| Community-dwelling older adults from the SarcoPhAge study | 534 | ≥65 | Hydraulic dynamometer Saehan Corporation, MSD Europe, Bvba, Belgium (calibrated) | 6 | Both | Sitting position | – | Forearms resting on the arms of the chair | Neutral position, over the end of the arm of the chair, thumb facing upwards | Adjusted so that the thumb is round one side of the handle and the four fingers are around the other side | Yes | – | – | Higher value | Fried’s criteria*
|
Cross-sectional study England | Buttery et al. [95] | Consecutively patients from three elderly care wards of an urban teaching hospital | 44 | 67–91 | Jamar isometric hand dynamometer, Sammons Preston, Bolingbrook, Illinois, USA | 6 | Both | Sitting position | Adducted and neutrally rotated | 90° | Between 0 and 30° dorsiflexion and 0 and 15° ulnar deviation | 2nd | Yes | – | – | Higher value | Compared with normative data from Bohannon et al. [96] |
Cross-sectional study Germany | Buttery et al. [97] | Community-dwelling older adults from the DEGS1 | 1843 | 65–79 | Smedley hand dynamometer, Scandidact, Denmark, 100 kg | 4 | Both | Standing upright | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Higher value | Fried’s criteria*
|
Cross-sectional study Urban administrative section of Taipei, Taiwan | Chang et al. [98] | Community-dwelling older adults | 234 | ≥65 | Handgrip dynamometer, Fabrication Enterprises, Inc., Irvington, NY | – | Both | – | Adducted | 90° | – | – | Yes | – | – | – | Lowest 20% at baseline |
Cross-sectional study Saint Bruno,Québec, Canada and Santa Cruz, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil | Da Camara et al. [99] | Community-dwelling older adults | 124 | 65–74 | Jamar hand dynamometer, Jamar, Irvington, NY, USA | 3 | – | Sitting position | Adducted and neutrally rotated | 90° Forearm neutral | Neutral | Adjusted to a comfortable position between the 2nd or 3th handle | – | – | 1 min | Mean value | Fried’s criteria*
|
Cross-sectional study Chicago, USA | Danilovich et al. [100] (b)
| Convenience sample of older adults | 42 | ≥65 | Jamar hand hydraulic dynamometer | 4 | Both | Sitting position | Adducted and neutrally rotated | 90° | Between 0 and 30° dorsiflexion | 2nd | – | – | – | Higher value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf |
Cross-sectional study Denmark | Dato et al. [101] | Community-dwelling older adults | 3719 | ≥70 | Smedley hand dynamometer TTM | 3 | Dominant | Sitting position | Adducted | – | – | – | – | – | – | Higher value | ** |
Cross-sectional study The Netherlands | Evenhuis et al. [102] | Individuals with borderline to profound intellectual disabilities of three care provider services from the HA-ID Study | 848 | ≥50 | Jamar hand dynamometer, 5030 J1, Sammons Preston Rolyan, Dolgeville, NY | 6 | Both | Sitting position | Adducted and neutrally rotated | 90° | Between 0 and 30° dorsiflexion and 0 and 15° ulnar deviation | 2nd | Yes | – | – | – | Fried’s criteria*
|
Prospective cohort study USA | Fried et al. [10] | Community-dwelling older adults from the Cardiovascular Health study | 5317 | ≥65 | Jamar hand dynamometer | 3 | Dominant | Sitting position | – | 90° | – | 2nd | Yes | – | – | Mean value | Fried’s criteria*
|
Cross-sectional study The Kolpino district, St. Petersburg, Russia | Gurina et al. [103] | Community-dwelling older adults from the “Crystal” Study | 611 | ≥65 | Carpal dynamometer (DK-50, Nizhni Tagil, Russian Federation) | 6 | Both | Standing upright | Arms hanging down at the sides | – | – | – | – | – | 30 s | Mean value | Lowest 20%, adjusted for sex and BMI |
Cross-sectional study Vienna, Austria. | Haider et al. [104] (d)
| Pre-frail and frail community-dwelling older adults | 83 | ≥65 | Jamar hydraulic hand dynamometer, Lafayette, Louisiana | 6 | Both | Sitting position | – | Forearms resting on the arms of the chair | Neutral, over the end of the arm of the chair, thumb facing upwards | Adjusted so that the thumb is round one side of the handle and the four fingers are around the other side | Yes | – | 1 min | Higher value | ** |
Cross-sectional and prospective cohort study The Netherlands | Hoogendijk et al. [105] | Older adults from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam | 1115 | ≥65 | Takei TKK 5001, Takei Scientific Instruments, Tokyo, Japan | 4 | Both | Standing upright or sitting position when the participant was not able to stand | – | 180° | – | – | – | – | – | Sum of the highest values of each hand | Fried’s criteria*
|
Cross-sectional study Seoul, Korea | Kang et al. [106] | Female outpatients from the department of family medicine at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital | 121 | ≥65 | Lavisen electronic hand grip dynamometer KS 301, Lavisen Co. Ltd., Namyangju, Korea | – | Right | – | Abducted | 180° | – | Medial phalange of the third finger perpendicular to the handle | – | – | – | – | ≤14.5 kgf |
Cross-sectional study Seoul and Gyeonggi province, Korea | Kim et al. [107] | Older adults who registered at six senior welfare centers | 486 | ≥65 | Jamar hydraulic hand dynamometer; Sammons Preston, Bolingbrook, IL, USA | 2 | – | – | Abducted | 180° | – | – | – | – | – | Higher value | Lowest 20%, adjusted for sex and BMI |
Cross-sectional study Beaver Dam, Wisconsin | Klein et al. [108] | Adults and older adults from the Beaver Dam Eye Study | 2962 | ≥53 | Lafayette hand dynamometer, Model 78,010, Lafayette Instrument Company, Lafayette, Indiana | 4 | Both | Standing upright | Abducted | 180° | – | Adjusted to hand size | – | – | – | Mean value for the dominant hand | M: ≤ 34.5 kgf W: ≤ 18.5 kgf |
Randomised controlled trial Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, Japan | Kwon et al. [109] | Pre-frail community-dwelling older women | 89 | ≥70 | Smedley hand dynamometer, Yagami, Tokyo, Japan | 2 | Dominant | Standing upright | Arms hanging naturally at their sides | – | – | – | – | – | – | Higher value | W: ≤23 kgf at baseline |
Cohort study Korea | Lee et al. [110] | Community-dwelling older adults from the Living profiles of Older People Survey | 11,844 | ≥65 | Tanita, No. 6103, Japan | 4 | Both | – | Elbow by the side of the body | 90° | – | – | – | – | – | Higher value | Lowest 20%, adjusted for sex and BMI |
Prospective cohort study Boston, Massachusetts, USA | Mohr et al. [111] | Community-dwelling men from the Massachusetts Male Aging study | 646 | 50–86 | Jamar hydraulic hand dynamometer, Sammons Preston, Bolingbrook, IL | 2 | Dominant | Sitting position | Arms at their sides | 90° Forearm neutral | Neutral | Adjusted to hand size | – | 3 s | 1 min | Higher value | M: ≤28 kgf (BMI ≤ 24.9 kg/m2); ≤30 kgf (BMI 25.0–27.2 kg/m2); ≤32 kgf (BMI > 27.2 kg/m2) |
Prospective cohort study Barcelona, Spain | Mora et al. [112] | Community-dwelling women from the Mataró Ageing Study | 110 | ≥70 | Jamar hand dynamometer | 3 | Non-dominant | Sitting position | Adducted and neutrally rotated | 90° Forearm neutral | Between 0 and 30° dorsiflexion and between 0 and 15° ulnar deviation | – | Yes | – | – | Mean value | Fried’s criteria*
|
Cross-sectional study Belo Horizonte, Brazil | Moreira et al. [113] (b)
| Community-dwelling older women with type 2 diabetes | 99 | 65–89 | Jamar hand dynamometer | 3 | Dominant | Sitting position | Adducted and neutrally rotated | 90° Forearm neutral | Between 0 and 30° dorsiflexion | 2nd | Yes | – | – | Mean value | Fried’s criteria*
|
Double-blind, randomised, controlled trial Rotterdam, The Netherlands | Muller et al. [114] | Community-dwelling older men | 100 | ≥70 | Jamar hand dynamometer, Horsham, PA | 3 | Non-dominant | Sitting position | Adducted and neutrally rotated | 90° Forearm neutral | Between 0 and 30° dorsiflexion and between 0 and 15° ulnar deviation | – | Yes | – | – | Mean value | ** |
Cross-sectional study Dimantina, Brasil | Parentoni et al. [115] (c)
| Convenience sample of older women | 106 | ≥65 | Saehan dynamometer, SH5001 (calibrated) | 3 | Dominant | Sitting position | Adducted and neutrally rotated | 90° Forearm neutral | Neutral | 2nd | Yes | – | 1 min | Mean value | Fried’s criteria*
|
Cross-sectional study Calabria district, Italy | Passarino et al. [116] | Community-dwelling older adults | 369 | 65–85 | Smedley hand dynamometer TTM | 3 | Dominant | Sitting position | Adducted | – | – | – | – | – | – | Higher value | ** |
Cohort study Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and California, USA | Samper-Ternent et al. [117] | Non-institutionalised Mexican Americans from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly | 1370 | ≥65 | Jamar hydraulic hand dynamometer, Model 5030 J1, J.A. Preston Corp., Clifton, NJ | 2 | Dominant | Sitting position | – | Resting on the table | Palm facing up | Adjusted to a comfortable position | Yes | – | – | Higher value | Lowest 20%, adjusted for sex and BMI |
Cohort study United States and Denmark | Sanders et al. [118] | Community-dwelling individuals from The Long Life Family Study | 4875 | 32–105 | Jamar hydraulic hand Dynamometer, Lafayette, IN | 2 | Dominant | Sitting position | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Mean value | Lowest 25%, adjusted for sex and BMI |
Cross-sectional study Saarland, Germany | Saum et al. [119] (d)
| Community-dwelling adults from ESTHER study | 3112 | ≥59 | Jamar hand dynamometer, Lafayette Instrument Company, Lafayette, IN | 3 | Dominant | Sitting position | – | Forearm resting on the arm of the chair | Neutral, over the end of the arm of the chair, thumb facing upwards | Adjusted so that the thumb is round one side of the handle and the four fingers are around the other side | Yes | – | – | Higher value | M: <30 kgf W: <20 kgf and Fried’s criteria*
|
Cross-sectional study Lausanne, Switzerland | Seematter-Bagnoud et al. [120] | Community-dwelling older adults from the Lc65+ study | 861 | 65–70 | Baseline hydraulic dynamometer | 3 | Right | Sitting position | Adducted and neutrally rotated | 90° | Between 0 and 30° dorsiflexion and 0 and 15° ulnar deviation | 2nd | Yes | – | – | Higher value | Fried’s criteria*
|
Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial The Netherlands | Tieland et al. [121] | Frail older adults | 62 | ≥65 | Jamar hand dynamometer, Jackson, MI, USA | 6 | Both | Sitting position | – | 90° | – | – | – | – | – | – | Fried’s criteria*
|
Cross-sectional study Portugal | Vieira et al. [122] (c)
| Institutionalised older adults from three urban residential homes | 50 | 68–99 | Jamar hydraulic hand dynamometer, J00105 | 3 | Dominant | Sitting position | Adducted and in extension | 90° Forearm neutral | Extended between 0 and 30° | . | – | 10 s | 1 min | – | M:<30 kgf W: <18 kgf |
Cross-sectional study Baltimore, Maryland, USA | Walston et al. [123] | Community-dwelling women from the Women’s Health and Aging Studies I and II | 463 | 70–79 | Jamar hand dynamometer, model BK-74978, Fred Sammons, Inc., Burr Ridge, IL | 6 | Both | Sitting position | Adducted | 90° | – | . | Yes | – | – | Higher value of the non-dominant hand | Fried’s criteria*
|
Cross-sectional study Southern Taiwan | Wu et al. [124] | Community-dwelling older adults and outpatients from a hospital-based outpatient clinic | 90 | ≥65 | Jamar hand dynamometer, Sammons Preston, Bolingbrook, IL | – | Dominant | Sitting position | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Fried’s criteria*
|
Discussion
Dynamometer
Hand
Posture and arm position (shoulder, elbow and wrist)
Handle position
Repetitions
Encouragement
Analysis
Comparison of the protocols
ASHT protocol – 2015 [26] | Southampton protocol – 2011 [27] | |
---|---|---|
Posture | Subject seated in a chair without arm rests, with feet fully resting on the floor, hips as far back in the chair as possible, and the hips and knees positioned at approximately 90° | Subject seated (same chair for every measurement) |
Arm position | Forearms rested on the arms of the chair | |
-Shoulder | Adducted and neutrally rotated | – |
-Elbow | Flexed to 90°, the forearm should be in midprone (neutral) | – |
-Wrist | Between 15 and 30° of extension (dorsiflexion) and 0–15° of ulnar deviation | Just over the end of the arm of the chair, in a neutral position, thumb facing upwards |
Trials | Three trials | Three trials on each side, alternating sides (start with the right hand) |
Dynamometer | ||
-Model | Jamar dynamometer | Jamar hydraulic hand dynamometer |
-Calibration | Yes | – |
-Handle position | 2nd | Thumb is round one side of the handle and the four fingers are around the other side |
Acquisition time | At least 3 s | – |
Rest time | At least 15 s | – |
Instructions | “This test will tell me your maximum grip strength. When I say go, grip as hard as you can until I say stop. Before each trial, I will ask you ‘Are you ready?’ and then tell you ‘Go’. Stop immediately if you experience any unusual pain or discomfort at any point during testing. Do you have any questions? Are you ready? Go!”. “Harder... harder... harder...Relax” | ‘I want you to squeeze as hard as you can for as long as you can until I say stop. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, stop’ (when the needle stops rising) |
HGS analysis | Mean of three trials | Maximal grip score from all six trials |