Muscular strength across the life course: The tracking and trajectory patterns of muscular strength between childhood and mid-adulthood in an Australian cohort
Year: 2021
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: Low muscular strength is a risk factor for current and future adverse health outcomes. However, whether levels of muscular strength persist, or track, and if there are distinct muscular strength trajectories across the life course is unclear. This study aimed to explore muscular strength trajectories between childhood and mid-adulthood. DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal study. METHODS: Childhood Determinants of Adult Health Study participants had their muscular strength (right and left handgrip, shoulder extension and flexion, and leg strength measured by hand-held, shoulder and leg-back dynamometers, and a combined strength score) assessed in childhood, young adulthood and mid-adulthood. The tracking of muscular strength was quantified between childhood and mid-adulthood (n=385) and young- and mid-adulthood (n=822). Muscular strength trajectory patterns were identified for participants who had their muscular strength assessed at least twice across the life course (n=1280). RESULTS: Levels of muscular strength were persistent between childhood and mid-adulthood and between young- and mid-adulthood, with the highest tracking correlations observed for the combined strength score (childhood to mid-adulthood: r=0.47, p<0.001; young- to mid-adulthood: r=0.72, p<0.001). Three trajectories of combined muscular strength were identified across the life course; participants maintained average, above average, or below average levels of combined muscular strength. CONCLUSIONS: Weak children are likely to become weak adults in midlife unless strategies aimed at increasing muscular strength levels are introduced. Whether interventions aimed at increasing muscular strength could be implemented in childhood to help establish favourable muscular strength trajectories across the life course and in turn, better future health, warrant further attention.
Institutions: University of Tasmania, Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Georgia, The University of Melbourne, The George Institute for Global Health, University of Oxford, The George Institute for Global Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, University of Turku, Turku University Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology (medical)
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,140
Awards: G1610810711, G3338641379, The long-term effects of child, adolescent, and young adult cholesterol levels on future cardiovascular disease., G4016223635, G6894421026, G6968042294, Follow up of the 1985 Australian Schools Health and Fitness Survey Cohort, Cardiometabolic risk trajectories from childhood to midlife: finding pathways to better health
OpenAlex ID: W3132469848