Age- and gender-specific normative data of pinch strengths in a healthy Turkish population

Abstract

It has been demonstrated that normative data of pinch strengths (PSs) vary among healthy populations. Data from 838 participants (420 women and 418 men) aged 15–96 years were analyzed to develop normative data of PSs for a healthy Turkish population and to analyze changes in the means according to the physical demands of participants’ jobs. Lateral, palmar, and tip-to-tip pinch strengths were measured in standard manners. Occupations were classified based on the descriptions in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. Mean PSs peaked between the ages of 30–50 years in general and increased a small amount in parallel with the increasing strength ratings of the occupations. PS changes followed a curvilinear relationship to age. The differences between our findings and those of similar studies in this field emphasize the importance of using normative data specific to a particular population.