title: Arm-hand use in healthy older adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our objectives were (1) to quantify arm-hand use of older adults without a disability and to determine the effects of hand dominance, gender, and day on hand usage and (2) to determine the factors that predict arm-hand use. This information will enhance understanding of the extent of the client's occupational performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty men and 20 women, ages 65-85, wore wrist and hip accelerometers for 7 consecutive days. Manual dexterity and grip strength were assessed. A three-way factorial analysis of variance and multiple linear regressions were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The activity kilocounts from both wrist accelerometers revealed a significant interaction effect between hand and gender (F[1, 190] = 24.4, p < .001). Enhanced manual dexterity of the right hand was associated with greater right-hand use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Arm-hand use is a novel dimension of hand function measuring the extent of real-life occupational performance in the client's home.
authors.affiliation: Rehab Research Lab, GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rand
authors.forename: Janice J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Eng
mesh_terms: D000054:Acceleration; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001132:Arm / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology*; D018737:Hand Strength; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement