Table 1.
Distribution of handgrip strength (HGS) with independent variables among World Trade Center (WTC) responders (n = 2023).
| Characteristics | Mean (SD)/Number (%) | Mean HGS (lbs.) (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|
| Age in years | 53.3 (7.9) | 55.5 (54.8–56.3) |
| Gender | ||
| Men | 1847 (91.3) | 57.4 (56.6–58.1) |
| Women | 176 (8.7) | 36.1 (33.8–38.5) |
| Race/ethnicity | ||
| Non-Hispanic White 0 | 1613 (85.8) | 56.2 (55.3–57.0) |
| Non-Hispanic Black 1 | 86 (4.6) | 50.8 (47.2–54.4) |
| Hispanic 2 | 156 (8.3) | 52.7 (50.0–55.4) |
| Asian 3 | 19 (1.0) | 52.6 (44.9–60.3) |
| Other 4 | 7 (0.4) | 47.9 (35.3–60.5) |
| Hand dominance | ||
| Right | 1721 (85.1) | 55.4 (54.6–56.2) |
| Left | 208 (10.3) | 55.5 (53.1–57.8) |
| Ambidextrous | 94 (4.7) | 58.4 (54.9–61.8) |
| Marital status | ||
| Single | 107 (5.3) | 49.9 (46.6–53.1) |
| Married | 1678 (83.0) | 56.1 (55.3–56.9) |
| Separated/Divorced/Widowed | 238 (11.8) | 53.8 (51.6–56.0) |
| Education | ||
| Did not finish high school | 55 (2.8) | 51.6 (47.0–56.1) |
| Graduated high school | 349 (17.8) | 53.5 (51.7–55.3) |
| Some college | 935 (47.7) | 55.6 (54.5–56.7) |
| Undergraduate degree | 467 (23.8) | 57.6 (56.1–59.2) |
| Graduate school | 155 (7.9) | 55.0 (52.3–57.7) |
| Current employment status | ||
| Working full time | 1153 (57.6) | 58.8 (57.8–59.7) |
| Working part time | 147 (7.3) | 56.9 (54.2–59.6) |
| Disabled/on medical leave | 106 (5.3) | 50.6 (47.5–53.8) |
| Retired | 572 (28.6) | 50.1 (48.7–51.4) |
| Laid off/unemployed | 25 (1.3) | 51.3 (44.8–57.8) |
| Annual income (USD) | ||
| 0 to 50,000 | 181 (11.7) | 54.9 (52.5–57.4) |
| >50,000 to 70,000 | 428 (27.7) | 55.2 (53.6–56.8) |
| >70,000 to 100,000 | 678 (43.9) | 56.1 (54.8–57.4) |
| >100,000 | 258 (16.7) | 56.4 (54.4–58.5) |
| Level of WTC exposure | ||
| Low | 331 (18.0) | 53.9 (52.1–55.8) |
| Intermediate | 1092 (59.4) | 56.1 (55.1–57.1) |
| High | 339 (18.5) | 56.2 (54.4–58.0) |
| Very high | 75 (4.1) | 53.6 (49.8–57.5) |
| WTC-related PTSD | ||
| Probable PTSD (PCL-S ≥ 44) with depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 10) | 200 (9.9) | 45.9 (43.6–48.2) |
| Probable PTSD without depression | 104 (5.1) | 49.2 (46.0–52.4) |
| No PTSD or depression | 1719 (85.0) | 57.0 (56.2–57.8) |
| Self-reported general health | ||
| Excellent | 87 (4.4) | 61.4 (57.9–64.9) |
| Very good | 461 (23.1) | 59.6 (58.1–61.1) |
| Good | 990 (49.7) | 56.7 (55.7–57.7) |
| Fair | 381 (19.1) | 49.3 (47.6–50.9) |
| Poor | 75 (3.8) | 41.7 (38.0–45.5) |
Total numbers vary between variables because only responders with valid response for each variable are included.