Associations between Hand Grip Strength, Physical Activity, Cognitive Function, and Quality of Sleep in Healthy Adult Individuals: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: Hand grip strength is a simple and reliable measure of overall muscular strength and has been associated with various health outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the relationships among hand grip strength, physical activity, cognitive function, and sleep quality in healthy adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 160 normal adult participants, comprising 80 males and 80 females, with an average age of 25 (SD 9.69) years and a BMI of 24.58 (SD 5.99). Handgrip strength, physical activity, cognitive function, and quality of sleep were measured using a hydraulic hand dynamometer, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. The collected data were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics, and Spearman’s correlation tests were used to assess the association between the measured outcomes. Results: Right-hand grip strength demonstrated positive correlations with BMI (r=0.24, p=0.003), IPAQ scores (r=0.71, p=0.001), IPAQ level (r=0.62, p=0.000), while showing negative correlations with poor sleep quality (r=-0.42, p=0.001) and cognitive failures (r=-0.23, p=0.001). Physical activity displayed a weak, non-significant correlation. Discussion: This study demonstrates that higher hand grip strength is associated with increased physical activity, improved cognitive function, and enhanced sleep quality in healthy adult individuals. These findings suggest that assessing hand grip strength may provide valuable insights into an individual’s overall health and well-being. Longitudinal studies are warranted to elucidate the causal relationships among these variables further.