운동과학 (Feb 2022)

Grip Strength Measurement in the Right Hand Better Predicts Mortality Regardless of Dominant Hand

  • Yun-A Shin,
  • Won-Ho Choi,
  • Jae-Hyun Kim

DOI
https://doi.org/10.15857/ksep.2021.00409
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 31, no. 1
pp. 110 – 118

Abstract

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Purpose Muscle strength is often higher when measured on the dominant hand than on the non-dominant hand, and there are reports of differences in the mortality rates between left-handed and right-handed people in the Korean population. Therefore, it is necessary to longitudinally investigate the effect of grip strength of the dominant hand on mortality rates. Methods Data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) from 2006 to 2016 were assessed and 9,196 research subjects were included. The effect of grip strength on mortality rates were analyzed by measuring 1) the right hand, 2) the left hand, and 3) the dominant hand for right-handed and left-handed people. In addition, the association between grip strength and mental health disorders were analyzed and a generalized estimating equation (GEE) model was used. Results The association between grip strength and all-cause mortality was statistically significant in both hands. When the grip strength was measured with the right and left hands, the log likelihood ratio test for the Akaike information criterion (AIC) of both hands for mortality was significant (p=.018). When the grip strength for the left-handed people was measured with the right and left hands, the log likelihood ratio test for the AIC of both hands for mortality was significant (p=.009). Taken together, there was no difference in mortality between right-handed and ambidextrous individuals according to the measurement of right-handed and left-handed grip, but left-handed individuals had a higher mortality according to the measurement of right-handed grip than that of the left hand, which is the dominant side. Conclusions Therefore, there was no difference in mortality rates according to the dominant hand, and the measurement of grip strength in the right hand was a better predictor of mortality than the use of maximum or average value after measuring grip strength in both hands.

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