Andersen-Ranberg Karen, Petersen I, Frederiksen H, Mackenbach J P, Christensen K
Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winslowsvej 9B, 5000 Odense C, Denmark.
Department of Geriatrics, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
Eur J Ageing. 2009 Aug 11;6(3):227-236. doi: 10.1007/s10433-009-0128-6. eCollection 2009 Sep.
Grip strength (GS) has an age- and gender-dependent decline with advancing age. One study comparing GS among extremely old show a North-South gradient with lowest GS in Italy compared to France (intermediary) and Denmark (highest) even after adjusting for confounders. As GS is associated with higher rates of functional decline and mortality, and thus may be used as a health indicator, it is of interest to examine whether the results on extremely old can be reproduced in a large-scale European survey. GS was measured in a cross-sectional population-based sample of 27,456 individuals aged 50+ in 11 European countries included in the SHARE survey. We made a cross-country comparison of the age trajectory of GS in both genders. Northern-continental European countries had higher GS than southern European countries even when stratifying by age and gender and controlling for height, weight, education, health and socioeconomic status. The relative excess was found to be 11% and the absolute difference 5.0 kg for 50- to 54-year-old men, increasing to 28% and 6.9 kg among 80+ year-old men. The corresponding figures for women were 16% and 4.3 kg, and 21% and 3.5 kg, respectively. Southern European countries have lower GS in the age range 50+ year. Gene-environment interactions may explain country-specific differences. The use of GS in cross-national surveys should control not only for age and gender, but also for nationality.
握力（GS）会随着年龄的增长而出现与年龄和性别相关的下降。一项比较高龄人群握力的研究显示，存在南北梯度差异，即使在对混杂因素进行调整后，意大利的握力仍低于法国（中等水平）和丹麦（最高水平）。由于握力与更高的功能衰退率和死亡率相关，因此可作为健康指标，所以研究高龄人群的结果能否在大规模欧洲调查中重现很有意义。在“健康、退休和老龄化纵向研究”（SHARE）调查涵盖的11个欧洲国家中，对27456名50岁及以上的个体进行了基于人群的横断面样本测量握力。我们对男女握力的年龄轨迹进行了跨国比较。即使按年龄和性别分层并控制身高、体重、教育程度、健康状况和社会经济地位，北欧大陆国家的握力仍高于南欧国家。50至54岁男性的相对超额为11%，绝对差异为5.0千克，80岁及以上男性则分别增至28%和6.9千克。女性的相应数字分别为16%和4.3千克，以及21%和3.5千克。南欧国家50岁及以上年龄段的握力较低。基因 - 环境相互作用可能解释了国家间的差异。在跨国调查中使用握力时，不仅应控制年龄和性别，还应控制国籍。
