Handgrip strength as a simple measure for screening prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus risk among adults in Malawi: A cross-sectional study

Trop Med Int Health. 2021 Dec;26(12):1709-1717. doi: 10.1111/tmi.13694. Epub 2021 Nov 1.

Abstract

Objective: Handgrip strength, a simple measure of muscle strength, has been reported as a predictor of both prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and has been suggested for screening prediabetes and T2DM risk. This study examined the relationship of handgrip strength with prediabetes and T2DM among rural- and urban-dwelling adults in Malawi.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study nested in a follow-up study of prediabetic and prehypertensive individuals identified during an extensive noncommunicable disease survey in Malawi. A total of 261 participants (women: 64%) were recruited. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association of prediabetes and T2DM with relative handgrip strength.

Results: The mean (SD) age of the participants was 49.7 (13.6) years, and 54.0% were between the ages of 40 and 59 years. The mean (SD) absolute handgrip strength and relative handgrip strength were 28.8 (7.3) kg and 1.16 (0.40) kg/BMI, respectively, and the mean relative handgrip strength differed significantly (p < 0.001) by T2DM status. In unadjusted model, the odds ratio (OR) of prediabetes and T2DM per unit increase in relative handgrip strength was 0.12 [95% CI; 0.04-0.33]. The result remained significant after adjusting for age (continuous), sex, place of study, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and level of education (aOR [95% CI]; 0.19 [0.03-0.95]).

Conclusions: The findings suggest that handgrip strength could be a relatively inexpensive, noninvasive measure for contributing to risk scores to identify high-risk individuals for screening diabetes in SSA.

Keywords: muscle strength; normal weight; prediabetes; relative handgrip strength; type 2 diabetes mellitus.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / diagnosis*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Hand Strength*
  • Humans
  • Malawi / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prediabetic State / diagnosis*
  • Prediabetic State / epidemiology
  • Risk Factors
  • Rural Population
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Urban Population
  • Young Adult