Handgrip strength and body mass index in Polish and Croatian female university students of preschool and primary education

Introduction
Recent years have seen a decrease in muscle strength, which may lead to sarcopaenia, and may be associated with a risk of diseases of affluence and premature mortality. Grip strength measurement in young adults is particularly important for teachers because it determines how effectively they are able to perform their duties.

Aim of the research
To determine the relationship between handgrip strength (HGS) and normalised grip strength (NGS) and body mass index (BMI) in female university students.

Material and methods
The study participants comprised 231 young women from Poland and Croatia. Their handgrip strength was measured, and their BMI and NGS were calculated. Differences between groups of students from Poland and Croatia were determined using Student’s t-test. The relationships between HGS and NGS and somatic traits and BMI were assessed using the Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Differences between BMI categories were assessed using one-way ANOVA.

Results
Mean HGS among the participants from Poland and Croatia equalled 29.9 ±4.75, and mean NGS equalled 0.49 ±0.13. Both HGS and NGS among all participants from Poland and Croatia showed a statistically significant correlation with body height, body mass, and BMI. In terms of HGS and NGS relative to BMI categories, women with overweight or obesity had the highest HGS, while women with underweight obtained significantly lower results (F = 5.152, p = 0.006). The opposite correlations were observed for NGS (F = 51.858, p < 0.001).

Conclusions
The observed significant correlations between NGS and BMI suggest that NGS is an important biomarker of health.