Background and Study Aim: This study aimed to evaluate hand grip strength (HGS) as a non-invasive marker of physical fitness, lung function and body composition in school-aged children.
Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 350 healthy students (181 boys and 169 girls) aged 8–12 years. HGS was assessed using a dynamometer, peak expiratory flow (PEF) via a peak flow meter, and body composition (BMI, fat percentage and lean body mass) through bioelectrical impedance analysis. Physical fitness parameters including standing broad jump, and flexibility, were also measured. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and age-specific percentiles curves were established for HGS.
Results: HGS increased progressively with age in both boys and girls and shown strong positive correlations ranged moderate degree to strong with height (r = 0.459 to r = 0.929), Weight (r = 0.359 to r = 0.760), BMI (r = 0.202 to r = 0.639) lean body mass (r = 0.367 to r = 0.842), SBJ (r = 0.368 to 0.745) and peak expiratory flow (r = 0.348 to r = 0.752), especially in boys. While the correlation values of girl’s participants for same variables shown low to moderate degree of relationship. The correlation values of HGS and flexibility was inconsistent and shown negative relationship in both genders. In addition, HGS was moderately associated with fat percentage. Percentile curves indicated that muscular strength develops more rapidly in boys than girls during late childhood. The percentile cut points (3rd, 15th, 50th, 85th and 97th) provided key insights into muscular strength through chronological age. These findings support HGS as a useful indicator of muscular development and respiratory function as well as body composition in children.
Conclusions: Grip strength is a practical, reliable, and non-invasive tool for assessing physical development in children aged 8–12 years. It is significantly associated with physical fitness, lung function and body composition, making it a valuable screening measure in school-based health programs.