This study was conducted from
August to October 1999 to investigate reference ranges of strength of hand gripping in some healthy manual workers visiting for health examination in Dongsan medical center.
A grip strength dynamometer T.K.K. 5101 grip-D (Japan; Takei Scientific Instruments Co.) was used to measure grip strength. Five hundreds thirty healthy worker participants without history of neuromuscular disease; hand fracture or diagnosed arthritis.
Men were stronger than women for each age interval. Dominant hands were stronger than non-dominant hands. The average grip strength of the dominant hand was highest in 3rd decade male (46.4 士 6.6kg) and female workers (28.1 土 4.2kg). The grip strength decreased with increasing age over 4th decade. The overall ratio dominat/nondominant hand was 1.05 ± 0.1 with little variation with age in male; but in female; the ratio was highest in 2nd decade (1.10 土 O.i2) and decreased with increasing age over 3rd decade.
These results suggest that average grip strength was different from sex and age group and was decreased with age over 4th decade. So different reference values must be applied for sex and age for its interpretation.
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