Prospective association between handgrip strength in childhood and the metabolic syndrome score and insulin resistance indices in adolescence: an analysis based on the Ewha Birth and Growth Study

Objectives: Low handgrip strength in children and adolescents might be associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and insulin resistance. This study prospectively evaluated the association between handgrip strength (HGS) in childhood and MetS in adolescence.

Methods: Based on data from the Ewha Birth and Growth Study, this study analyzed handgrip strength at ages 7 to 9 and metabolic indices at ages 13 to 15. In total, 219 participants were analyzed. The risk of MetS was evaluated using the continuous MetS score (cMetS), and insulin resistance was assessed using fasting blood insulin and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Relative handgrip strength in childhood was determined by dividing handgrip strength by body weight and categorized as sex-specific quartiles.

Results: This study found an inverse association between relative handgrip strength levels in childhood and MetS and insulin resistance in adolescence. For each 1-group increase in relative handgrip strength quartiles, cMetS (Std. β=-0.64, p<0.01), HOMA-IR (Std. β=-0.21, p<0.01), and fasting blood insulin (Std. β=-0.21, p<0.01) all decreased on average. These associations remained significant even after adjusting for confounding factors.

Conclusion: Our study showed a prospective association between handgrip strength in childhood and the risk of MetS and insulin resistance in adolescence. It provides significant epidemiological evidence, emphasizing the importance of efforts to increase muscle strength from a young age to mitigate the risk of MetS and insulin resistance in adolescence.