HUANG Ting, LI Xin, ZHANG Xian-peng, ZHANG Shuang, ZHANG Qiu-xi, ZHONG Hua, NAMUNA Rou-si-t-mu, BAO Yong-qing, MA Jian, WEN You-feng
Objective To establish reference standards for handgrip strength among Uyghur adults in the Aksu region and to analyze associated influencing factors, thereby providing scientific evidence for local health interventions and the assessment of sarcopenia-related conditions. Methods Using a cluster random sampling method, 1123 adult Uyghur residents (439 men and 684 women) in the Aksu region were assessed for handgrip strength, height, body composition (total muscle mass, total fat mass, body fat percentage, upper-limb muscle mass, lower-limb muscle mass), and anthropometric indicators (waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-hip ratio, hand length, palm length, palm width, and hand area). Percentile curves (P5, P25, P50, P75, P95) for handgrip strength were constructed using the Lambda-Mu-Sigma (LMS) method. ANOVA, independent-sample t-tests, Pearson partial correlation, and multiple linear regression were applied to examine differences in handgrip strength between Uyghurs and other populations, identify influencing factors, and compare values with domestic and international populations. Results Handgrip strength among Uyghurs aged 20-80 years showed significant differences by sex and age (P<0.01). Men had substantially higher grip strength than women, and both sexes reached peak values at ages 20-29, followed by a marked decline after age 50. Compared with other domestic and international populations, the overall grip strength level of Uyghurs was moderately low. Uyghur men had significantly lower values than Caucasian, East Asian, and Han Chinese populations, but higher than Tibetan and Malaysian populations; Similar trends were observed in women. Partial correlation analysis showed that in men, age and body fat percentage were negatively correlated with grip strength, while height, weight, body mass index (BMI), total muscle mass, upper-limb and lower-limb muscle mass, hand length, palm width, and hand area were positively correlated. In women, age, body fat percentage, waist circumference, and waist-hip ratio were negatively correlated with grip strength, whereas height, weight, BMI, total muscle mass, upper-limb and lower-limb muscle mass, hand length, palm width, and hand area were positively correlated. Multiple linear regression indicated that age and total muscle mass were significant predictors of grip strength in adult Uyghur men (P<0.01), while age, muscle mass, waist-hip ratio, and palm width were significant predictors in Uyghur women (P<0.01). Conclusion Reference percentile values for handgrip strength across different age groups and both sexes have been established for the Uyghur population. Age and total muscle mass are the primary determinants of grip strength in this population, while waist-hip ratio and palm width also independently influence grip strength in women.
