Handgrip strength and physical activity in frail elderly

Cross-sectional quantitative study with a sample of 203 elderly calculated based on the population estimated proportion. Tests were applied to detect cognitive impairment and assessment of physical frailty. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis by binary logistic regression were used, and also Student's t-test and Fisher's exact test.

RESULTS

A total of 99 (64.3%) elderly showed decreased handgrip strength and 90 (58.4%) elderly presented decrease in physical activity levels. There was a statistically significant difference between these two components (p=0.019), in which elderly who have decreased HS have lower levels of physical activity. For low levels of physical activity and decreased HS, there was no evidence of significant difference in the probability of the classification as frail elderly (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

The components handgrip strength and physical activity are associated with the frail elderly. The joint presence of low levels of physical activity and decreased handgrip strength leads to a significantly higher probability of the elderly to be categorized as frailty.

Descriptors:
Elderly; Frail Elderly; Motor Activity; Muscle Strength Dynamometer; Hand Strength; Geriatric Nursing

Frailty Condition	Decreased handgrip strength			Low levels of physical activity
	Yes	No	Total	Yes	No	Total
	n (%)	n (%)	n (%)	n (%)	n (%)	n (%)
Pre-frail	62 (40.3)	53 (34.4)	115 (74.6)	57 (37.0)	58 (37.7)	115 (74.6)
Frail	37 (24.0)	2 (1.3)	39 (25.3)	33(21.4)	6 (3.8)	39 (25.3)
Total	99 (64.3)	55 (35.8)	154 (100.0)	90 (58.4)	64 (41.5)	154 (100.0)

Categorization of physical activity	Decreased handgrip strength
	Yes	No	Total
	n (%)	n (%)	n (%)
Very active	28 (18.2)	8 (5.2)	36 (23.4)
Active	9 (5.9)	5 (3.2)	14 (9.1)
Moderately active	13 (8.4)	4 (2.6)	17 (11.0)
Minimally active	29 (18.9)	25 (16.2)	54 (35.1)
Inactive	20 (13.0)	13 (8.4)	33 (21.4)
Total	99 (64.3)	55 (35.8)	154 (100.0)

HS^* * Handgrip strength. decreased (n)	Physical activity level^† † For statistical analysis, we considered active (very active + active+ moderately active) and inactive (minimally active + inactive). (n)		p^‡ ‡ Binary logistic regression.	Odds ratio	95% CI
	Active	Inactive	0.019	2.28	1.14 - 4.57
Yes	50	49
No	17	38

Frailty condition	Decreased HS^* * HS = Handgrip strength.	Low level of physical activity
		Yes	No	Total
		n (%)	n (%)	n (%)
Pre-Frail	Yes	20 (17.4)	42 (36.5)	62 (54.0)
	No	37 (32.2)	16 (14.0)	53 (46.0)
	Total	57 (49.6)	58 (50.5)	115 (100.0)
Frail	Yes	31 (79.5)	6 (15.4)	37 (94.9)
	No	2 (5.1)	-	2 (5.1)
	Total	33 (84.6)	6 (15.4)	39 (100.0)

PA^* * PA = Low level of physical activity	DHS^† † DHS = Decreases handgrip strength	Frailty Condition		Total n	Probability to be Frail (95%CI)	P-value^‡ † DHS = Decreases handgrip strength
		Pre-Frail	Frail
		n (%)	n (%)
No	No	16 (100.0)	0 (0.0)	16	0	---
No	Yes	42 (87.5)	6 (12.5)	48	12.5 (3.1 - 21.9)	0.323
Yes	No	37 (94.9)	2 (5.1)	39	5.1 (0 - 12.1)	1.000
Yes	Yes	20 (39.2)	31 (60.8)	51	60.8 (47.4 - 74.2)	<0.001

Universidade de São Paulo, Escola de Enfermagem Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 419 , 05403-000 São Paulo - SP/ Brasil, Tel./Fax: (55 11) 3061-7553, - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: reeusp@usp.br

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[1] Corresponding author: Maria Angélica Binotto. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem - UFPR. Av. Pref. Lothario Meissner, 632 - 3º andar - Jardim Botânico CEP 80210-170 - Curitiba, PR, Brazil.manbinotto@yahoo.com.br

Brasil

Brasil

Handgrip strength and physical activity in frail elderly* * Extracted from the research project "Efeitos da fragilidade e qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde de idosos da comunidade", Universidade Federal de Curitiba, 2010-2013.

Fuerza de agarre manual y actividad física en ancianos fragilizados

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

METHOD

RESULTS

CONCLUSION

Handgrip strength and physical activity in frail elderly^* * Extracted from the research project "Efeitos da fragilidade e qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde de idosos da comunidade", Universidade Federal de Curitiba, 2010-2013.