An Estimation of Grip Strength during Puberty
Sunyarn Niempoog MD*, Yongyuth Siripakarn MD*, Thongchai Suntharapa MD*
Affiliation : * Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University
Objective : Find the correlation of grip strength in puberty with chronological age, height, weight, and
percentage of body fat.
Materials and Methods : One thousand one hundred and five volunteer students between 11 and 14 years of age
in Central Thailand participated in the study. The body weight and height were measured with standard
balance and stadiometer. The percentage of body fat was measured with Near Infrared interactance device.
The grip strength was measured with Digital Handgrip Dynamometer. The results were statistically analyzed
by multiple linear regression.
Results : It was found that grip strength has a significant correlation with age, height, and weight but not with
percentage of body fat. The prediction of grip strength in puberty can be estimated with the following equa-
tions: a) For boys, Grip strength (kg) = -59.797 + 2.493 Age (yr) +0.308 Height (cm) +0.147Weight (kg), and
b) For girls, Grip strength (kg) = -32.887 + 0.926Age (yr) +0.236Height (cm) +0.155Weight (kg).
Conclusion : The predictive value of an age, height, and weight equation is more precise than that of solely
chronological age.
Keywords : Puberty, Grip strength, Estimation
