Trends in Mean Hand Grip Strength, Cutoff Value, and Prevalence of Low Hand Grip Strength: An Analysis of 2014-2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) Data.

Abstract

Abstract: Kim, YK, Lee, HB, and Lee, SH. Trends in mean hand grip strength, cutoff value, and prevalence of low hand grip strength: An analysis of 2014-2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) data. J Strength Cond Res 39(8): e967-e973, 2025-The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2) defines probable sarcopenia as low muscle strength detected by hand grip strength (HGS). According to this guideline, cutoff for low HGS is determined using a T -score of -2.5 based on age group showing the highest HGS (aged 30-39 years). Our hypothesis is that temporal changes in mean HGS of Koreans may lead to changes in the cutoff values for low HGS and the prevalence of probable sarcopenia as defined by the EWGSOP2 guidelines. We analyzed trends of HGS using 6 years of Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. We used the EWGSOP2 guidelines to set yearly cutoff values for low HGS and calculated the prevalence of low HGS. The cutoff value for low HGS and the prevalence rate of low HGS in individuals aged 70 years or older were analyzed using linear regression and trend analysis. We observed a significant decreasing trend from 2014 to 2019 in annual cutoff values for low HGS, ranging from 24.5 to 30.9 kg in men and 13.1-17.3 kg in women. Correspondingly, the prevalence of low HGS (probable sarcopenia) varied significantly from 10.4 to 34.2% in men and 9.1-20.8% in women, indicating notable year-to-year fluctuations ( p < 0.001). While pooling multiyear data reduces some variability, it does not fully address fluctuations in prevalence of probable sarcopenia. To enhance the reliability and clinical relevance of low HGS cutoff values, future guidelines should integrate outcome-based criteria with normative data, ensuring adaptability to temporal trends and population-specific characteristics.