Impact of Oral Contraceptive Use on Grip Strength in Women: Analysis from NHANES Data

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of oral contraceptive (OC) use on grip strength in women. Specifically, we sought to determine whether 1) OC user status (current, past, or never users) and 2) OC duration (never, less than 1 year, 1-5 years) were associated with variations in grip strength. We hypothesized that 1) current OC users would exhibit lower grip strength compared to past or never users, and 2) the duration of OC use would be inversely correlated with grip strength. Methods: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a publicly available dataset, was analyzed. A subset of healthy, regularly menstruating women (n=277, age: 19±1 years) from survey years 2011-2014 were selected. Participants were categorized using a self-reported reproductive health screening and grip strength was measured as the average of three maximal handgrip tests performed with the dominant hand. The analysis included factors such as OC user status, OC duration, ethnicity (Mexican American: 24%, Other Hispanic: 12%, Non-Hispanic White: 19%, Non-Hispanic Black: 30%, Non-Hispanic Asian: 12%, Other: 4%), income category (Below poverty: 45%, Low income: 19%, Moderate income: 19%, High income: 6%), and BMI (BMI: 25.6±7.5kg/m 2 ). Statistical analyses, including ANOVA, regression, and pairwise comparisons, were performed to assess significance (p<0.05). Results: Significant differences in grip strength were observed based on OC duration (p = 0.02), with women using OCs for 1-5 years demonstrating significantly greater grip strength compared to those using OCs for less than 1 year. However, no significant differences in grip strength were found across OC user status (p > 0.05), and no significant interactions were observed between OC status and OC duration (p > 0.05). Ethnicity and income were significant predictors of grip strength, with Non-Hispanic Black women and lower-income women exhibiting higher grip strengths (p = 0.0003, p = 0.005, respectively). BMI was negatively associated with grip strength (p = 0.0003). Conclusion: These results suggest that OC duration, ethnicity, BMI, and income may influence grip strength, while OC user status alone does not appear to be a significant factor. This study provides insight into the complex relationships between hormonal contraceptive use and physical health outcomes. Ongoing research aims to expand these findings by including additional variables, such as physical activity level, and comparing women using OCs with men. Funding Source: Faculty Research Funds This abstract was presented at the American Physiology Summit 2025 and is only available in HTML format. There is no downloadable file or PDF version. The Physiology editorial board was not involved in the peer review process.