Front Nutr. 2026 Feb 17;13:1763759. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2026.1763759. eCollection 2026.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: To describe the absolute and body composition-normalized relative grip and pinch strength status in children and adolescents, to analyze the associations between strength indices and cardiometabolic risk.
METHODS: The baseline survey from 2022 to 2023 conducted by the Beijing Children and Adolescents Health Cohort. Children aged 6-17 years old in Beijing were involved (N = 3,252). Health examination included height, body composition, grip and pinch strengths, blood pressure, triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), etc. Clustered metabolic syndrome composite score (MetScore) was calculated. Grip and pinch strengths were normalized by muscle mass percentage (MMP), body weight, BMI and muscle mass as strength indices, recorded as Grip-to-MMP ratio, etc. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated for age- and sex-specific muscle strength indices predicting abnormal cardiometabolic parameters.
RESULTS: 3,252 children and adolescents were included. Both grip and pinch strength increased with age, with boys stronger than girls. Absolute grip strength and Grip-to-MMP ratio were positively associated with the risks of developing low HDL-c, high LDL-c, HBP, and a high MetScore. In contrast, the Grip-to-WT ratio was negatively associated with the risks of high TG, low HDL-c, high LDL-c, HBP, and a high MetScore, while being positively associated with the risk of IFG. Similar patterns were observed for pinch strength and its normalized indices. The Pinch-to-WT ratio and Pinch-to-BMI ratio showed protective, inverse associations with the risks of high TG, low HDL -c, high LDL-c, HBP, and a high MetScore. ROC analysis identified the Grip-to-WT ratio as the strongest predictor of cardiometabolic risk among all indices evaluated.
CONCLUSION: Grip and pinch strengths seemed associated with cardiometabolic risk in children. The Grip/Pinch-to-WT ratio was the best predictor of cardiometabolic risk than all the other strength indices. Testing grip strength might help prevent cardiovascular disease early.
PMID:41783820 | PMC:PMC12953518 | DOI:10.3389/fnut.2026.1763759