title: Relationships between structural and functional measures of nutritional status in a normally nourished population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Both anthropometric and functional measurements have been used in nutritional assessment and monitoring. Hand dynamometry is a predictor of surgical outcome and peak expiratory flow rate has been used as an index of respiratory muscle function. This study aims to measure in normal subjects the relationship between anthropometric measurements, voluntary muscle strength by hand grip dynamometry and respiratory muscle function by peak expiratory flow rate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-eight subjects (46 male, 52 female) with a mean age of 45.9 years were studied. Hand grip strength was measured in the dominant and non-dominant hands with a portable strain-gauge dynamometer. Peak expiratory flow rate was measured using a mini-Wright peak flow meter. Three readings were taken, each 1 min apart, and the average recorded. Midarm muscle circumference (MAMC) was derived from triceps skin fold thickness and midarm circumference (MAC) using standard anthropometric techniques. Statistical relationships were measured with Pearson's coefficient of correlation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both sexes there was significant correlation between hand grip strength in the dominant and non-dominant hands and peak expiratory flow rate (P<0.001). In men, there was a positive correlation between MAMC, hand grip strength (P<0.001) and peak expiratory flow rate (P<0.001). In women muscle function correlated with height (P<0.001) but not MAMC (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In normal subjects bedside tests of skeletal and respiratory muscle function correlated with each other in both sexes, and with muscle mass in men but not in women.
authors.affiliation: Section of Surgery, University Hospital, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK.
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Hornby
authors.forename: Q M
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Hillman
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Stanga
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Neal
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Rowlands
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Lobo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate / Q000502:physiology; D012132:Respiratory Muscles / Q000502:physiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric