Hand Grip Strength among Year 1 and Year 2 Undergraduate Students of Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)

Alexander Sureng, Saut and Aida Nurlateefah, Syamsul Amri and Ivy Juliette Puang, Yi Hui and Marsha Amirah, Azizi and Isabel Fong, Lim and Haniza, Sahdi (2024) Hand Grip Strength among Year 1 and Year 2 Undergraduate Students of Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). Medicine & Health, 19 (4 supp). p. 16. ISSN 2289-5728

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Abstract

Hand grip strength (HGS) is crucial as stronger HGS in healthcare trainees is linked to better performance of clinical skills requiring manual dexterity. However, there is limited research on HGS determinants among medical and nursing students in Malaysia. This study aims to investigate the associations between HGS and gender, little finger flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) muscle functionality, body mass index (BMI), physical activity frequency, hand dominance, and ethnicity of preclinical students enrolled in the Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Nursing programmes at Faculty of Medicine and Health Science (FMHS), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). Data were gathered via Google forms for socio-demographic information, anthropometric measurements for BMI calculation, the Short International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) for physical activity levels, and the Modified Baker’s test for little finger FDS functionality. HGS was measured using a Camry electronic hand dynamometer following American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT) guidelines. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29.0 was utilised for data analysis, employing descriptive statistics and inferential tests with significance set at p < 0.05. This study found that HGS was significantly higher in males, greater BMI groups, and higher physical activity levels. Right-handed individuals demonstrated significantly stronger HGS in their dominant hands, whereas left-handed individuals displayed more balanced strength between hands. Ethinicity and presence or absence of the little finger FDS had no significant effect on HGS. Overall, this study offers insights into the factors influencing HGS, highlighting the importance of gender, hand dominance, physical activity levels, and BMI.

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