Objectives Recent studies have suggested that assessing handgrip strength (HGS) asymmetry together with HGS may be helpful for evaluating problems in geriatric patients. This study aimed to identify whether HGS asymmetry, weakness, or both were associated with depression in Korean older adults.
Methods This study included 4274 subjects from the sixth and seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The maximum HGS of the dominant hand was used as a representative value. HGS symmetry was categorized by the ratio of the HGS of the dominant hand to that of non-dominant hand. The odds ratio (OR) for depression was calculated according to the HGS and its symmetry.
Results In total, 240 (12.5%) men and 534 (22.7%) women had depression. HGS or HGS asymmetry showed no statistically significant associations with depression in elderly men. Elevated odds of depression were observed in elderly women with low HGS (OR, 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33 to 2.81) or prominent HGS asymmetry (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.08). There was a positive additive interaction between asymmetric HGS and weakness, as women with low and prominently asymmetric HGS showed higher odds of depression (OR, 3.77; 95% CI, 2.16 to 6.59) than women with high and symmetric HGS.
Conclusions Depression in elderly Korean women was associated with both low and asymmetric HGS. Our findings support the potential value of HGS asymmetry as an indicator of HGS.
Summary
Korean summary
본 연구에서는 국민건강영양조사 자료를 이용하여, 국내 60세 이상 노인 인구에서 악력 저하 및 양손 악력의 비대칭과 우울증 유병과의 상관관계를 분석하였다. 분석 결과 60세 이상 여성에서 악력 저하 및 양손 악력의 비대칭이 우울증 유병과 관련이 있었으며, 악력 저하와 비대칭이 동반된 경우에는 우울증 유병에 대하여 상가작용이 존재하였다. 이는 향후 노인의 악력 측정 시, 양손 악력의 비대칭에 대하여도 주목할 필요가 있음을 시사한다.
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