The association between muscle strength and sociodemographic and lifestyle factors in adults and the younger segment of the older population in a city in the South of Brazil

Abstract

Adequate muscular strength is required to perform daily activitiesand is considered a marker of overall health. The aim of this study was to identify sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with handgrip strength (HGS) in adults and the younger segment of the older population. A cross-sectional,population-based study was conducted with 705 individuals aged between 25 and 65 years in the city of Florianópolis, capital of the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil.HGS was assessed usinga manual hand dynamometer. Interviews were conducted with the participants to collect sociodemographic and lifestyle data.Mul-tiple linear regressionwas performed to identify the predictors of HGS. The findings revealed that women and individuals from older age groups showed lower HGS, while being active during leisure time was associated with higher HGS.In-terventions aimed at maintaining HGS levels in individuals should pay special consideration toa-ging and individuals who are physically inactive or insufficiently active during leisure time.