Velazquez-Villalobos Samantha, LeCheminant James D, Rasmussen Ryan, Bellini Sarah G
Brigham Young University, Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science Department, Provo, UT 84602, USA.
Brigham Young University, College of Nursing, Provo, UT 84602, USA.
Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2025 Apr;66:179-185. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2025.01.048. Epub 2025 Jan 25.
Sarcopenia, defined as a muscle mass loss and function, is increasingly recognized in pediatric populations, particularly in childhood obesity. Therefore, it is necessary to have measurements that can distinguish between muscle and fat mass. Methods of body composition such as Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) provide accurate assessments of body composition, but they are resource-intensive and impractical for routine monitoring in clinical or community settings. To address this, handgrip strength (HGS) may be used for assessing muscle mass. This study investigates the association between muscle mass and HGS in children aged 6-10 years.
A cross-sectional study of 110 participants was conducted with children aged 6-10 years who could follow instructions in English, lay still for 6-7 min, and had not entered puberty. Children with disabilities that affected muscle mass or hand strength were excluded. Height, weight, mid-upper arm circumference, lean body mass (LBM), fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), and bone mineral density (BMD) were measured. Pearson correlations between all body composition measurements and HGS were conducted. The best predictors of muscle mass were determined using stepwise analysis.
A significant correlation between HGS and fat-free mass index (FFMI) (R = 0.39) (p < 0.001) among children aged 6-10 years and lean body mass index (LBMI) (R = 0.42) (p = 0.005) in children aged 8-10 years old was found. HGS with BMI (p < 0.0001) were the best predictors of FFMI and LBMI.
HGS was associated with muscle mass and may provide insight on body composition changes in children. Integrating HGS with BMI into routine clinical practice could enhance comprehensive evaluation of body composition.
肌肉减少症被定义为肌肉质量和功能的丧失，在儿科人群中越来越受到关注，尤其是在儿童肥胖症中。因此，有必要采用能够区分肌肉和脂肪量的测量方法。双能X线吸收法（DEXA）等身体成分分析方法能够准确评估身体成分，但资源消耗大，在临床或社区环境中进行常规监测不切实际。为解决这一问题，握力（HGS）可用于评估肌肉质量。本研究调查了6至10岁儿童肌肉质量与握力之间的关联。
对110名6至10岁、能用英语听从指令、能静躺6至7分钟且未进入青春期的儿童进行了横断面研究。排除患有影响肌肉质量或握力的残疾儿童。测量身高、体重、上臂中部周长、瘦体重（LBM）、脂肪量（FM）、去脂体重（FFM）和骨矿物质密度（BMD）。对所有身体成分测量值与握力进行Pearson相关性分析。采用逐步分析确定肌肉质量的最佳预测指标。
发现6至10岁儿童握力与去脂体重指数（FFMI）（R = 0.39）（P < 0.001）以及8至10岁儿童握力与瘦体重指数（LBMI）（R = 0.42）（P = 0.005）之间存在显著相关性。握力与BMI（P < 0.0001）是FFMI和LBMI的最佳预测指标。
握力与肌肉质量相关，可能有助于了解儿童身体成分的变化。将握力与BMI纳入常规临床实践可加强对身体成分的综合评估。
