Associations between grip strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, cardiovascular risk and mental health in forcibly displaced people from a Greek refugee camp
-
Published:2023-11-28
Issue:1
Volume:13
Page:
-
ISSN:2045-2322
-
Container-title:Scientific Reports
-
language:en
-
Short-container-title:Sci Rep
Author:
Gerber Markus,Filippou Konstantinia,Knappe Florian,Morres Ioannis D.,Tzormpatzakis Emmanouil,Havas Elsa,Seelig Harald,Colledge Flora,Ludyga Sebastian,Meier Marianne,Theodorakis Yannis,von Känel Roland,Pühse Uwe,Hatzigeorgiadis Antonis
Abstract
AbstractMuscular strength represents a specific component of health-related fitness. Hand grip strength is used as a simple and dynamic marker of maximum voluntary force of the hand and to estimate overall strength. Today, little is known about the relationship between grip strength and health in forcibly displaced populations. In the present study, we examined whether grip strength is associated with various health outcomes in a sample of forcibly displaced people living in a Greek refugee camp. The present analyses are part of a larger pragmatic randomized controlled trial. In this paper, cross-sectional baseline data of 143 participants (71 men, 72 women) will be presented. In addition to grip strength, the following physical and mental health outcomes were assessed: body weight and body composition, blood pressure, total cholesterol, low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose levels (HbA1c), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depressive and anxiety symptoms, pain, and quality of life. Linear regression analyses were carried out to examine how grip strength is associated with the health outcomes, separately for absolute and normalized grip strength scores. Grip strength was positively and strongly associated with percentage muscle mass (normalized grip strength: Stand. B = 0.58, p < .001), whereas a negative association existed for percentage body fat (normalized grip strength: Stand. B = − 0.58, p < .001). No statistically significant associations occurred between grip strength and the other cardiovascular risk markers. In contrast, we found that participants with higher normalized grip strength reported higher levels of PTSD (normalized grip strength: Stand. B = 0.36, p < .05) and depressive symptoms (normalized grip strength: Stand. B = 0.29, p < .05). No significant association occurred between grip strength, anxiety, pain and quality of life. Measuring grip strength in forcibly displaced people can be a useful way to assess their overall muscle strength. Grip strength tests are easy to implement, and results can be used to assess the effects of specific intervention measures. Nevertheless, our results question the usefulness of grip strength as a marker of cardiovascular health and mental wellbeing in a refugee camp setting.
Funder
Swiss Network for International Studies
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Multidisciplinary
Reference97 articles.
1. American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM’s Health-Related Physical Fitness Assessment Manual (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 2013). 2. Wong, S. L. Grip strength reference values for Canadians aged 6 to 79: Canadian health measure survey, 2007 to 2013. Health Rep. 27, 3–10 (2016). 3. Wind, A. E., Takken, T., Helders, P. J. & Engelbert, R. H. Is grip strength a predictor for total muscle strength in healthy children, adolescents, and young adults?. Eur. J. Pediatr. 169, 281–287 (2010). 4. Wang, M., Leger, A. B. & Dumas, G. A. Prediction of back strength using anthropometric and strength measurements in healthy females. Clin. Biomech. 20, 685–692 (2005). 5. Norman, K., Stobäus, N., Gonzalez, M. C., Schulzke, J. D. & Pirlich, M. Hand grip strength: Outcome predictor and marker of nutritional status. Clin. Nutr. 30, 135–142 (2011).
Cited by
1 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献
|
|