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Secular trends in grip strength among Korean adults according to socioeconomic factors: the 2014-2022 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Harim Choe, Hoyong Sung, Yeon Soo Kim
Epidemiol Health. 2025;47:e2025074.   Published online December 16, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2025074
  • 2,158 View
  • 88 Download
AbstractAbstract AbstractSummary PDFSupplementary Material
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Muscle strength is a key indicator of overall health, and its decline has been linked to increased morbidity and mortality. Socioeconomic factors may contribute to disparities in this decline. Therefore, this study aimed to examine trends in muscle strength and to identify groups with lower muscle strength according to socioeconomic variables.
METHODS
We analyzed data from the cross-sectional Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), including 34,080 adults. Multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted, adjusting for socioeconomic and health-related covariates, and KNHANES survey weights were applied to obtain nationally representative estimates that accounted for the complex sampling design.
RESULTS
Overall, mean grip strength significantly decreased from 2014 to 2022 in both males (from 43.45±0.24 to 41.59± 0.29 kg) and females (from 26.48±0.15 to 24.94±0.13 kg). This trend was consistently observed across all covariate strata, except for individuals aged over 70 years and those in the green-collar occupational group. In 2022, grip strength was lower among individuals with the lowest education level (26.45±0.34 vs. 34.75±0.32 kg in the undergraduate group) and the lowest household income level (29.59±0.45 vs. 34.53±0.35 kg in the highest income group), as well as among unemployed individuals (29.36± 0.30 vs. 37.00±0.47 kg in the blue-collar group), compared with their higher socioeconomic counterparts.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings provide descriptive evidence of grip strength trends and socioeconomic disparities in Korea. They may serve as baseline information to guide future longitudinal studies and inform public health strategies.
Summary
Korean summary
본 연구에서는 한국 성인의 악력이 감소하다가 다시 회복되는 경향을 보였으며, 교육수준·소득·직업에 따라 악력의 뚜렷한 사회경제적 격차가 존재함을 확인하였다. 이러한 결과는 낮은 악력 위험군을 식별하기 위한 기초 근거를 제공한다.
Key Message
This study demonstrates secular changes in grip strength among Korean adults and reveals persistent socioeconomic disparities by education, income, and occupation. These findings provide descriptive evidence to help identify population groups with lower grip strength.
Associations between grip strength and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus: an analysis of data from the 2014-2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Harim Choe, Hoyong Sung, Geon Hui Kim, On Lee, Hyo Youl Moon, Yeon Soo Kim
Epidemiol Health. 2021;43:e2021080.   Published online October 8, 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2021080
  • 22,749 View
  • 228 Download
  • 6 Web of Science
  • 6 Crossref
AbstractAbstract AbstractSummary PDFSupplementary Material
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Glycemic control is essential for preventing severe complications in patients with diabetes mellitus. This study investigated the association between grip strength and glycemic control in Korean adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
METHODS
From the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2,498 participants aged over 19 years that patients with diabetes mellitus who did not have a history of cardiovascular disease or cancer were selected for analysis. Grip strength was assessed using a handheld dynamometer and was represented as age-specific and sex-specific tertiles. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of glycemic control according to the grip strength tertiles.
RESULTS
A significantly lower probability (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.97) for glycemic control was found in the lowest tertile of grip strength compared to the highest tertile. Furthermore, a subgroup analysis by sex only found significant associations between grip strength and glycemic control in males.
CONCLUSIONS
Lower grip strength was associated with poor glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus, especially in males. However, further studies are needed to confirm the causal relationship between grip strength and glycemic control.
Summary
Korean summary
본 연구는 2014-2019년도 국민건강영양조사의 자료를 활용하여 당뇨병 유병자의 악력과 혈당 조절률 간의 연관성을 확인하였다. 당뇨병 유병자의 악력이 낮을수록 혈당 조절과의 연관성이 낮아졌으며, 이러한 연관성은 특히 남성에게 유의하게 나타났다.
Key Message
Grip strength is an inexpensive and straightforward method for measuring upper extremities strength and could represent the overall strength. After adjusting for confounders, lower grip strength with diabetic patients was associated with poor glycemic control. Specifically, this association was more prominent in Korean male.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  
  • Risk factors for metabolic syndrome are associated with low handgrip strength in people with HIV
    Izabella Bernardes Araujo, Camila Ferreira Silva, Eduardo Vignoto Fernandes, Morganna Alves Siqueira, Marília Brasil Xavier, Luiz Fernando Gouvêa-e-Silva
    Sport Sciences for Health.2025; 21(1): 465.     CrossRef
  • Association Between Sex-specific Handgrip Strength and Plasma Glycated Hemoglobin Levels Among Older Adults: A Cross-sectional Study
    Uyanga Ganbat, Altan-Ochir Byambaa, Boris Feldman, Shane Arishenkoff, Graydon S. Meneilly, Jonathan Little, Teresa Liu-Ambrose, Kenneth M. Madden
    Canadian Journal of Diabetes.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Handgrip strength and upper limb functional performance measures in people over 18 years old: Analysis of relationships and influencing factors
    Julio Ernesto Pérez-Parra, Claudia Patricia Henao-Lema, Anyi Vanesa Arcos-Rodríguez, Natalia López-Ocampo, Carolina Castaño-García, Olga Patricia Pérez-Gamboa
    Journal of Hand Therapy.2024; 37(1): 101.     CrossRef
  • Physio-cognitive decline syndrome among middle-aged diabetes patients: Handgrip strength significantly correlates with glycaemic control and cognitive score
    Purwita Wijaya Laksmi, Dyah Purnamasari, Naldo Sofian, Nina Kemala Sari, Mohammad Kurniawan, Lugyanti Sukrisman, Dicky Levenus Tahapary, Noto Dwimartutie, Ikhwan Rinaldi
    Heliyon.2024; 10(2): e24018.     CrossRef
  • Low relative hand grip strength is associated with a higher risk for diabetes and impaired fasting glucose among the Korean population
    Min Jin Lee, Ah Reum Khang, Dongwon Yi, Yang Ho Kang, Giacomo Pucci
    PLOS ONE.2022; 17(10): e0275746.     CrossRef
  • Frailty and risk of microvascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes: a population-based cohort study
    Yuanjue Wu, Ting Xiong, Xiao Tan, Liangkai Chen
    BMC Medicine.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef
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