Age- and gender-specific normative data of pinch strengths in a healthy Turkish population

Abstract

It has been demonstrated that normative data of pinch strengths (PSs) vary among healthy populations. Data from 838 participants (420 women and 418 men) aged 15-96 years were analyzed to develop normative data of PSs for a healthy Turkish population and to analyze changes in the means according to the physical demands of participants' jobs. Lateral, palmar, and tip-to-tip pinch strengths were measured in standard manners. Occupations were classified based on the descriptions in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. Mean PSs peaked between the ages of 30-50 years in general and increased a small amount in parallel with the increasing strength ratings of the occupations. PS changes followed a curvilinear relationship to age. The differences between our findings and those of similar studies in this field emphasize the importance of using normative data specific to a particular population.