Is grip strength associated with health-related quality of life? Findings from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study
Is grip strength associated with health-related quality of life? Findings from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study
Objective: to investigate the relationship between grip strength and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
Design: cross-sectional survey within a cohort study design.
Setting: the county of Hertfordshire in the UK.
Participants: a total of 2,987 community-dwelling men and women aged 59–73 years of age.
Measurements: grip strength was used as a marker of sarcopaenia and measured using a Jamar dynamometer. HRQoL was assessed using the eight domain scores of the Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire, and subjects in the lowest sex-specific fifth of the distribution were classified as having ‘poor’ status for each domain.
Results: men and women with lower grip strength were significantly more likely to report a poor as opposed to excellent to fair overall opinion of their general health (GH) [odds ratio (OR) per kilogram decrease in grip strength = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.06–1.19, P<0.001 in men, 1.13, 95% CI = 1.07–1.20, P<0.001 in women]. Among men, after adjustment for age, size, physical activity and known co-morbidity, decreased grip strength was associated with increased prevalence of poor SF-36 scores for the physical functioning (PF) (OR per kilogram decrease in grip strength = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01–1.06, P = 0.007) and GH domains (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01–1.05, P = 0.01). Similar associations were seen in women.
Conclusions: our findings suggest that lower grip strength is associated with reduced HRQoL in older men and women. This does not appear to be explained by age, size, physical activity or co-morbidity and may reflect the link between sarcopaenia and generalised frailty. Individuals with sarcopaenia may benefit from interventions to improve muscle mass and strength before the onset of chronic disorders usually associated with impaired HRQoL.
grip strength, sarcopaenia, frailty, quality of life, sf-36, elderly
409-415
Sayer, Avan Aihie
22ab6f4d-9d83-4272-9f56-1c2787598509
Syddall, Holly E
a0181a93-8fc3-4998-a996-7963f0128328
Martin, Helen J.
147af305-a2fb-4ed5-a1fb-5453af49cb60
Dennison, Elaine M.
ee647287-edb4-4392-8361-e59fd505b1d1
Roberts, Helen C.
5ea688b1-ef7a-4173-9da0-26290e18f253
Cooper, Cyrus
e05f5612-b493-4273-9b71-9e0ce32bdad6
1 July 2006
Sayer, Avan Aihie
22ab6f4d-9d83-4272-9f56-1c2787598509
Syddall, Holly E
a0181a93-8fc3-4998-a996-7963f0128328
Martin, Helen J.
147af305-a2fb-4ed5-a1fb-5453af49cb60
Dennison, Elaine M.
ee647287-edb4-4392-8361-e59fd505b1d1
Roberts, Helen C.
5ea688b1-ef7a-4173-9da0-26290e18f253
Cooper, Cyrus
e05f5612-b493-4273-9b71-9e0ce32bdad6
Sayer, Avan Aihie, Syddall, Holly E, Martin, Helen J., Dennison, Elaine M., Roberts, Helen C. and Cooper, Cyrus
(2006)
Is grip strength associated with health-related quality of life? Findings from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study.
Age and Ageing, 35 (4), .
(doi:10.1093/ageing/afl024).
Abstract
Objective: to investigate the relationship between grip strength and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
Design: cross-sectional survey within a cohort study design.
Setting: the county of Hertfordshire in the UK.
Participants: a total of 2,987 community-dwelling men and women aged 59–73 years of age.
Measurements: grip strength was used as a marker of sarcopaenia and measured using a Jamar dynamometer. HRQoL was assessed using the eight domain scores of the Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire, and subjects in the lowest sex-specific fifth of the distribution were classified as having ‘poor’ status for each domain.
Results: men and women with lower grip strength were significantly more likely to report a poor as opposed to excellent to fair overall opinion of their general health (GH) [odds ratio (OR) per kilogram decrease in grip strength = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.06–1.19, P<0.001 in men, 1.13, 95% CI = 1.07–1.20, P<0.001 in women]. Among men, after adjustment for age, size, physical activity and known co-morbidity, decreased grip strength was associated with increased prevalence of poor SF-36 scores for the physical functioning (PF) (OR per kilogram decrease in grip strength = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01–1.06, P = 0.007) and GH domains (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01–1.05, P = 0.01). Similar associations were seen in women.
Conclusions: our findings suggest that lower grip strength is associated with reduced HRQoL in older men and women. This does not appear to be explained by age, size, physical activity or co-morbidity and may reflect the link between sarcopaenia and generalised frailty. Individuals with sarcopaenia may benefit from interventions to improve muscle mass and strength before the onset of chronic disorders usually associated with impaired HRQoL.
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Published date: 1 July 2006
Keywords:
grip strength, sarcopaenia, frailty, quality of life, sf-36, elderly
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Local EPrints ID: 45431
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/45431
ISSN: 0002-0729
PURE UUID: 2b31f693-603a-4c27-921b-4f9fe10cdd73
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Date deposited: 30 Mar 2007
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 02:56
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Author:
Avan Aihie Sayer
Author:
Helen J. Martin
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