Korean J Sports Med.  2022 Jun;40(2):120-127. 10.5763/kjsm.2022.40.2.120.

Association between Muscle Strength and Anemia in the Rural Middle Age and Older Adults

• Park DY
• K im Y

• KMID: 2530315
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5763/kjsm.2022.40.2.120

Abstract

Purpose
This study aimed to investigate the association between relative muscle strength and serum hemoglobin levels.
Methods
In this study, 3,234 adults living in rural areas were surveyed from 2007 to 2014 and the data was analyzed on 1,987 adults. Anemia (＜ 12 g/dL for women and ＜ 13 g/dL for men) was defined by examining serum hemoglobin concentration. Muscle strength was measured by using Takei dynamometer about grip strength and leg strength. To identify the association between relative strength and anemia, odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using logistic regression analysis (p＜ 0.05).
Results
As confounding variables were adjusted, relative leg strength (high level: OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.34– 0.88) and relative grip strength (middle level: OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.37– 0.88; high level: OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.30– 0.84) were associated with OR of anemia risk. Relative grip strengths were significantly associated with risk of anemia in the ≥ 65-year age group (middle level: OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.23– 0.78; high level: OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.14– 0.72), but not in the ＜ 65-year age group. Also, ≥ 65-year age group, who have both high relative grip strength and high relative leg strength (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.21– 0.93) or only high relative grip strength (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.18– 0.96), was only significantly associated with the prevalence of anemia.
Conclusion
Improvement of relative muscle strength is a key factor that can lower the risk of anemia and it is recommended in order to reduce the health risk of elderly life.

Keyword

Aging; Anemia; Hand strength; Muscle strength; Sarcopenia

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