Measurement of hand grip strength: A cross-sectional study of two dynamometry devices

BACKGROUND: Grip strength has been identified as an important indicator of health status and predictor of clinical outcomes. The gold standard for measuring grip strength is the JAMAR® Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer. Less expensive dynamometers are available but have not been validated within a hospital setting. OBJECTIVES: To validate the Camry Digital Handgrip Dynamometer (Model EH101) against the validated JAMAR® Dynamometer (Model J00105) in a hospital population. METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study with a randomised single-blind cross-over component was conducted on consenting adult patients admitted to general hospital wards. The best of three measurements taken using the dominant hand was used for analysis. RESULTS: Fifty-one participants (median [interquartile range] age 42 [30–58] years; n = 27 [52.9%] female) were included. The mean difference between the Jamar® and Camry measurements was 1.9 kg ± 3.6 kg (t-value 0.9; p = 0.4). There was a strong positive correlation between the Jamar® and the Camry devices (R = 0.94; r² = 0.88; p < 0.0001). Excellent agreement was found between Jamar® and Camry measurements (interclass correlational coefficient 0.97, 95% CI 0.94–0.99, p < 0.0001). Hand dominance significantly affected the agreement between devices (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The Camry Digital Handgrip Dynamometer is a valid tool for assessing grip strength in hospitalised adult patients. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The Camry Digital Handgrip Dynamometer could be used as an inexpensive tool to measure grip strength.