Effects of Glove Type and Gender on Lateral (Key) Pinch Strength Performance

Gloves are widely used in various industrial tasks, many of which involve fine motor functions such as finger/thumb pinching, gripping, and torque generation with wrist flexion. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of gender and glove type on key (lateral) pinch strength. Twenty healthy participants (10 males and 10 females) performed maximal lateral pinch efforts using a Baseline® mechanical pinch gauge. Each participant completed trials under five glove conditions: no gloves, latex, cotton, plastic, and chlorinated polyethylene (CPE). The study investigated how glove material and user gender influence hand performance in tasks requiring precision grip.