Association of Hand Grip and Pinch Strength Reading with Nutritional Health Status Among Orang Asli in Perak, Malaysia

Abstract

Malaysian indigenous people, locally known as Orang Asli, live in remote forest areas for centuries and rely heavily on agriculture for their daily subsistence. The association of nutritional status with hand grip and pinch strength readings among adults in Orang Asli community is investigated in this preliminary study. The nutritional status of the participants, as well as their hand grip and pinch strength, are assessed using a cross-sectional design. Patients who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition are identified using a validated nutritional risk screening, also known as the Malnutritional Universal Screening Tool (MUST). An independent t-test compares the means of the hand grip and pinch strength readings with MUST risk group. A p-value of 0.05 or less is considered statistically significant. It is evident that there is a similar of hand grip and pinch strength reading between medium and high risk group of MUST score.