Table 1. Characteristics of studies included in the review.
| First author, year |
Source* | Study name and country | Gender | Characteristics of study population: n Mean (SD) age (y) |
Mean (SD) birth weight (kg) (unless otherwise stated) |
Measure of muscle strength Brief description of instrument and protocol used (if stated) Mean (SD) |
Risk of bias score** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barr, 2010 (19) |
Both | Mysore Parthenon Study, India |
Grip strength (kg)
Jamar handgrip dynamometer Three readings from each hand alternately, maximum of all six used |
+5 Low |
|||
| Male | 275 9.33 (0.14) |
2.90 (0.46) | 12.7 (2.2) | ||||
| Female | 299 9.35 (0.13) |
2.83 (0.43) | 11.0 (2.0) | ||||
| Duppe, 1997 (23) |
PO | Kirseberg Public Health Project in Malmö, Sweden |
Birth weight and
birth length (units not given) |
Quadriceps strength
(units not given) Biodex isokinetic muscle force meter |
0 High |
||
| Male | 48 15.1 (0.3) |
Descriptives not provided |
Descriptives not provided |
||||
| Female | 39 15.1 (0.4) |
||||||
| Ericson, 1998 (24) |
Au | Data from National Service Enrolment Register, Sweden |
Male | 802 17.7 (0.5) |
2.42 (0.99) |
Grip strength (N) 591.5 (95.8) |
+3 Medium |
| Ford, 1988 (18) |
Both | Data from Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia |
Grip strength (N)
Harpenden handgrip dynamometer Three or four readings of both hands together and then of each hand separately |
−4 High |
|||
| VLBW Male |
9 5.2 (0.21) |
1.22 (0.17) | 90.22 (20.67) | ||||
| VLBW Female |
15 5.20 (0.15) |
1.13 (0.19) | 96.73 (20.63) | ||||
| NBW Male |
13 5.10 (0.06) |
3.58 (0.46) | 117.61 (34.91) | ||||
| NBW Female |
5 5.10 (0.09) |
3.18 (0.30) | 96.2 (21.36) | ||||
| Inskip, 2007 (5) |
Both | Southampton Women’s Survey, UK |
Female | 1352 30.6 (3.8) |
3.24 (0.56) |
Grip strength (kg) Jamar handgrip dynamometer Three readings from each hand, maximum of all six used 32.3 (5.9) |
+7 Low |
| Kuh, 2002 (7) |
Both | MRC National Survey of Health and Development, UK |
Grip strength (kg)
Electronic handgrip dynamometer Two readings from each hand after a practice, maximum value used in analysis |
+8 Low |
|||
| Male | 1398 53 (n/a) |
3.47 (0.53) | 47.68 (12.20) | ||||
| Female | 1432 53 (n/a) |
3.33 (0.48) | 27.74 (7.93) | ||||
| Kuzawa, 2010 (22) |
Both | Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey, Philippines |
Grip strength (kg)
Handgrip dynamometer Three readings taken and the average used in analysis |
+4 Medium |
|||
| Male | 907 20.95 (0.33) |
3.03 (0.43) | 73.49 (22.54) | ||||
| Female | 815 20.94 (0.35) |
2.99 (0.42) | 43.99 (16.97) | ||||
| All | 1722 20.94 (0.34) |
3.01 (0.42) | 59.53 (24.91) | ||||
| Martorell, 1998 (21) |
PO | Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama Longitudinal Study, Guatemala |
Birth weight
means for 3 groups (kg): |
Mean grip strength by group** (kg) Handgrip dynamometer |
+4 Medium |
||
| Male | 169 14.9 (1.5) |
IUGR: 2.31 Middle: 2.79 Upper: 3.43 |
IUGR: 23.8 Middle: 26.9 Upper: 26.3 |
||||
| Female | 162 14.8 (1.5) |
IUGR: 2.36 Middle: 2.81 Upper: 3.38 |
IUGR: 17.3 Middle: 20.7 Upper: 20.1 |
||||
| Martorell , 1998 (21) (2002-04 follow-up data, unpublished) |
Au | Human Capital Study, 2002-04, Guatemala |
Grip strength (kg) | N/A | |||
| Male | 227 29.75 (2.37) |
3.10 (0.50) | 41.72 (7.30) | ||||
| Female | 268 29.59 (2.30) |
3.02 (0.43) | 26.94 (5.03) | ||||
| All | 495 29.66 (2.33) |
3.06 (0.46) | 33.72 (9.61) | ||||
| Ortega, 2009 (25) |
PO | AVENA (Food and Assessment of the Nutritional Status of Adolescents) Study, Spain |
Grip strength (kg)
TKK 5101 Grip D Takey handgrip dynamometer Two attempts from each hand and the average of the better score from each hand used in analysis |
+5 Low |
|||
| Male | 818 15.3 (1.3) |
3.5 (0.5) | 35.0 (8.0) | ||||
| Female | 983 15.4 (1.3) |
3.3 (0.5) | 25.5 (4.1) | ||||
| Pitcher, 2009 (28) |
PO | Adelaide Family Heart Study, Australia |
All | 35 (19 male) 28 (no SD given) |
Range: 1.47-4.71 |
Grip strength Handgrip dynamometer Three attempts from each hand and mean value for each hand used in analysis Descriptives not provided |
−3 High |
| Ridgway, 2009 (29) |
Both | Northern Finland Birth Cohort, Finland |
Grip strength (kg) Newtest handgrip dynamometer Three attempts from dominant hand and maximum value used in analysis |
+7 Low |
|||
| Male | 2061 31 (n/a) |
3.60 (0.50) | 49.7 (8.7) | ||||
| Female | 2212 31 (n/a) |
3.47 (0.47) | 28.2 (6.5) | ||||
| Ridgway, 2011 (30) |
Both | East Flanders Prospective Twin Survey, Belgium |
Grip strength (kg) Jamar hand grip dynamometer One attempt from dominant hand following familiarisation |
+5 Low |
|||
| Male | 382 25.7 (4.7) |
2.60 (0.48) | 41.4 (7.0) | ||||
| Female | 401 25.5 (4.7) |
2.49 (0.49) | 25.6 (4.6) | ||||
| Robinson, 2008 (33) |
Both | Hertfordshire Cohort Study, UK |
Grip strength (kg)
Jamar handgrip dynamometer Three readings from each hand alternately, maximum of all six used |
+7 Low |
|||
| Male | 1569 65.7 (2.9) |
3.50 (0.54) | 44.0 (7.5) | ||||
| Female | 1414 66.6 (2.7) |
3.35 (0.50) | 26.5 (5.7) | ||||
| Rogers, 2005 (26) |
PO | Follow-up of ELBW ( here <800g) children admitted to Neonatal ICU in British Columbia, Canada |
Mean (range) |
Grip strength***
(kg) A handgrip dynamometer Readings from both hands taken |
−1 High |
||
| Male and female |
ELBW individuals 53 17.3 (range 16.3- 19.7) |
0.72 (0.52-0.80) | Males: 36.27 Females: 25.79 |
||||
| NBW individuals 31 17.8 (range 16.5- 19.0) |
3.51 (3.07-4.20) | Males: 46.62 Females: 27.39 |
|||||
| Saigal, 2007 (34) |
PO | Follow up of ELBW (here 501-1000g) survivors born between 1977-1982 in central-West Ontario, Canada |
Grip strength (kg)
A handgrip dynamometer Reading from dominant hand used |
+4 Medium |
|||
| ELBW Male |
149 (67 male) 23.3 (1.2) |
0.84 (0.12) | 41 (9) | ||||
| ELBW Female |
25 (5) | ||||||
| NBW Male |
133 (60 male) 23.6 (1.1) |
3.38 (0.49) | 47 (9) | ||||
| NBW Female |
31 (5) | ||||||
| Small, 1998 (27) |
PO |
Knee extension
& flexion (both Nm) Kin Com isokinetic dynamometer Three sets of extension- flexion cycles were performed with the right leg; highest values used in analysis |
−1 High |
||||
| ELBW Male |
8 13.3 (1.8) |
0.82 (0.13) | 380.3 (139.8) 200.8 (63.1) |
||||
| ELBW Female |
9 13.8 (1.7) |
0.83 (0.14) | 395.0 (103.2) 193.0 (45.2) |
||||
| NBW Male |
8 13.5 (2.1) |
3.65 (0.42) | 442.6 (165.7) 236.1 (86.1) |
||||
| NBW Female |
9 14.0 (1.5) |
3.54 (0.53) | 451.4 (148.2) 206.2 (55.3) |
||||
| Sayer, 1998 (6) |
Both | Hertfordshire Ageing Study, UK |
Grip strength (kg)
Harpenden handgrip dynamometer |
+3 Medium |
|||
| Male | 411 67.5 (2.4) |
3.53 (0.50) | 38.26 (7.14) | ||||
| Female | 306 67.5 (2.2) |
3.41 (0.48) | 22.49 (2.23) | ||||
| te Velde, 2004 (32) |
Both | Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study, Holland |
Static arm pull (kg)
Bettendorf dynamometer Two attempts in best arm and higher value used in analysis |
+2 Medium |
|||
| Male | 119 36.5 (0.59) |
3.55 (0.47) | 71.5 (13.4) | ||||
| Female | 154 36.6 (0.67) |
3.42 (0.51) | 38.7 (7.5) | ||||
| Yliharsila, 2007 (9) |
Both | Helsinki Birth Cohort, Finland |
Grip strength (kg)
Newtest Grip Force dynamometer Three attempts in dominant hand and maximum value used in analysis |
+4 Medium |
|||
| Male | 928 61.5 (2.8) |
3.48 (0.50) | 40.23 (9.45) | ||||
| Female | 1075 61.5 (3.0) |
3.35 (0.47) | 22.92 (6.29) |
Abbreviations. ELBW, extremely low birth weight (definition varies; for range of included birth weights see individual study entry). ICU, intensive care unit. IUGR, intrauterine growth retardation. NBW, normal birth weight. VLBW, very low birth weight (<1500g).
*
Source column: PO, paper only, all results available in published paper. Au, all results from request to corresponding author. Both, some results from published paper and some from author.
**
Risk of bias score, range −11 to +11: low risk of bias (>4), medium risk of bias (>0 and <5), high risk of bias (<1).
***
Average of left and right hand figures shown.