Pediatric Rheumatology Online Journal → August 2003 → Bone: Miscellaneous Topics → Abstract #149

GRIP STRENGTH AND BONE MINERAL DENSITY IN ADOLESCENCE: THE NORTHERN IRELAND YOUNG HEARTS PROJECT

C. P. McGartland, P. J. Robson, L. J. Murray, G. W. Cran, D. Watkins, M. Savage, M. Rooney, C. A. Boreham

¹Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Queens University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, Ireland; ²Department of Life and Health Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, Ireland; ³Rheumatology Department, Queens University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, Ireland; ⁴Department of Neonatal Medicine, St Mary's Hospital for Women and Children, Manchester, United Kingdom; ⁵Department of Life and Health Sciences, University of Ulster, Belfast, Northern Ireland, Ireland

Background A growing body of evidence is emerging to suggest that higher BMD may be a function of greater muscle strength.
Objective To evaluate the association between grip strength and BMD measured at the non-dominant forearm and dominant heel in a representative sample of 591 boys and 744 girls aged either 12 or 15 years old.
Design Isometric grip strength was assessed with a handheld dynamometer and BMD was measured by dual energy absorptiometry and habitual diet was assessed using the diet history method.
Results Using multiple linear regression to adjust for the potential confounding influence of physical and lifestyle factors, grip strength was significantly associated with non-dominant forearm BMD in boys (standardised regression co-efficients 0.57; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.72) and girls ( 0.15; 95% CI 0.07 to 0.23) and dominant heel BMD in boys ( 0.15; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.28) and girls ( 0.19; 95% CI 0.10 to 0.29). Of the explanatory variables included in the regression model (weight, height, age, pubertal status, activity score, calcium intake, alcohol intake and smoking), grip strength was the best predictor of BMD at the non-dominant forearm in boys and the second strongest predictor at the dominant heel in boys and girls.
Conclusion These data show grip strength to be a strong independent predictor of BMD at related and unrelated skeletal sites in adolescent boys and girls. This study indicates that muscle strengthening exercises may play an important role in achieving peak bone mass.
Keywords: Bone mineral density, grip strength, adolescence