Table 1.
Characteristics of 1037 cancer survivors according to hand grip strength (HGS)
| Total (n=1037) |
Normal HGS (n=822) |
Weak HGS* (n=199) |
P value | |
| Age (years) | 62.2±12.4 | 60.3±12.1 | 70.1±10.3 | <0.001 |
| Sex, n (%) | 0.711 | |||
| Men | 408 (39.3) | 332 (39.6) | 76 (38.2) | |
| Women | 629 (60.7) | 506 (60.4) | 123 (61.8) | |
| Height (cm) | 160.4±8.2 | 161.3±7.8 | 156.3±8.6 | <0.001 |
| Weight (kg) | 60.7±10.1 | 61.6±10.0 | 56.7±9.3 | <0.001 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 23.6±3.2 | 23.6±3.3 | 23.2±3.2 | 0.071 |
| HGS (kg) | ||||
| Men | 36.3±7.7 | 38.7±6.2 | 25.9±3.7 | <0.001 |
| Women | 23.7±4.8 | 25.3±3.6 | 16.8±2.6 | <0.001 |
| Education, n (%) | <0.001 | |||
| <10 years | 498 (48.0) | 365 (43.8) | 133 (66.8) | |
| ≥10 years | 535 (51.6) | 469 (56.2) | 66 (33.2) | |
| Income, n (%) | <0.001 | |||
| First and second quartile (low) | 565 (54.5) | 419 (50.0) | 146 (73.4) | |
| Third and fourth quartile (high) | 471 (45.4) | 419 (50.0) | 52 (26.1) | |
| Residence, n (%) | 0.005 | |||
| Urban | 722 (69.6) | 600 (71.6) | 122 (61.3) | |
| Rural | 315 (30.4) | 238 (28.4) | 77 (38.7) | |
| Marital status, n (%) | <0.001 | |||
| Live alone | 148 (14.3) | 98 (11.7) | 50 (25.1) | |
| Live with someone | 889 (85.7) | 740 (88.3) | 149 (74.9) | |
| Former/current smoking, n (%) | 374 (36.1) | 308 (37.2) | 66 (33.5) | 0.339 |
| Problem drinking†, n (%) | 371 (35.8) | 309 (42.1) | 62 (35.8) | 0.132 |
| Inadequate physical activity‡, n (%) | 610 (58.8) | 464 (55.6) | 146 (74.1) | <0.001 |
| Comorbidity, n (%) | ||||
| Hypertension | 383 (36.9) | 289 (34.5) | 94 (47.2) | 0.001 |
| Diabetes | 161 (15.5) | 118 (14.1) | 43 (21.6) | 0.008 |
| Ischaemic heart diseases | 51 (4.9) | 42 (5.0) | 9 (4.5) | 0.774 |
| Stroke | 32 (3.1) | 17 (2.0) | 15 (7.5) | <0.001 |
| Depression | 58 (5.6) | 45 (5.4) | 13 (6.5) | 0.521 |
| Cancer site§, n (%) | 0.052 | |||
| Stomach | 194 (18.7) | 149 (17.8) | 45 (22.6) | |
| Colorectum | 134 (12.9) | 103 (12.3) | 31 (15.6) | |
| Liver | 31 (3.0) | 24 (2.9) | 7 (3.5) | |
| Breast¶ | 134 (21.3) | 111 (22.9) | 23 (18.7) | |
| Cervix¶ | 117 (18.6) | 95 (18.8) | 22 (17.9) | |
| Lung | 37 (3.6) | 31 (3.7) | 6 (3.0) | |
| Thyroid | 217 (20.9) | 195 (23.3) | 22 (11.1) | |
| Prostate¶ | 42 (10.3) | 32 (9.6) | 10 (13.2) | |
| Other | 184 (17.7) | 145 (17.3) | 39 (19.6) | |
| EQ-5D (moderate/severe problem), n (%) | ||||
| Mobility | 230 (22.2) | 142 (16.9) | 88 (44.2) | <0.001 |
| Self-care | 42 (4.1) | 20 (2.4) | 22 (11.1) | <0.001 |
| Usual activities | 135 (13.0) | 78 (9.3) | 57 (28.6) | <0.001 |
| Pain/discomfort | 291 (28.1) | 205 (24.5) | 86 (43.2) | <0.001 |
| Anxiety/depression | 127 (12.2) | 91 (10.9) | 36 (18.1) | 0.005 |
Data are given as mean±SD or number (%). P values were analysed by t-test or χ2 test.
*Defined as less than 29.7/19.7 kg (for men/women).
†Defined as consuming more than seven/five (for men/women) drinks on a single occasion at least two times a week.
‡Defined as less than 150 min per week.
§Allows for patient to have more than one type of cancer.
¶Percentage is limited to women for breast/cervical cancer and to men for prostate cancer.
BMI, body mass index; EQ-5D, EuroQoL-5 dimension.