Work

Longitudinal association between body mass index and handgrip strength in community-dwelling older adults: a population-based nationwide cohort study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Weakened handgrip strength is now a major public health concern. The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and handgrip strength (HGS) is controversial and inconclusive. We conducted cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses to investigate the association between BMI and HGS in middle-aged and older Chinese population. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study using nationally representative data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). A total of 5741 participants aged ≥ 60 years old at the baseline survey of CHARLS (2011) were included and a total of 2877 participants without low HGS were followed up in 2015. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models were constructed to evaluate the associations of BMI with HGS. RESULTS: The BMI was positively associated with HGS (β = 0.11; 95% CI: 0.07–0.15). During the 4 years of follow-up, 912 cases (31.7%) with low HGS were identified. Underweight BMI (OR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.15–2.12) was significantly associated with increased risk of low HGS compared to the normal weight, while overweight (OR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.55–0.83) and obesity (OR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.50–0.91) were significantly associated with reduced risk of low HGS. Such associations were robust in subgroup analysis. Significant non-linear dose–response relationship between BMI and low HGS was also observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings revealed that underweight BMI might be a predictor of low HGS in older adults, representing an important at-risk group for screening and intervention, and maintaining a higher BMI might prevent the development of low HGS in this population.

Source: BMC Geriatrics

DOI: 10.1186/s12877-025-06366-x

Authors: Haixia Xiao, Shan Huang, Huanshun Xiao, Wenni Zhang, Shuangming Cai

Institution: Guangdong Province Women and Children Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Nutrition and Health in Aging

Subfield: Physiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,190