Determinants of Grip Strength in Tunisian Nurses: A Bicentric Study.
BACKGROUND
Grip muscle force has always been used to assess functional limitations in elderly. Its use as a tool to assess work capacity has never been described in the literature.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the patent determinants of grip strength and the usefulness of its measurement in assessing workability index in the healthcare sector.


METHODS
This is a cross-sectional study conducted in a sample of 293 healthcare workers representative of 1181 based on a comprehensive questionnaire about socio-professional characteristics and on an 8-item work capacity evaluation (WAI). Besides, Body mass index was measured and muscle strength was assessed by JAMAR hydraulic dynamometer.


RESULTS
Handgrip Strength was stronger in male nurses (p < 0.001), with low perceived physical load (p = 0.0001) and working on a night shift (p = 0.001). It decreased with a greater duration of household work (p < 0.0001) and increased with a greater BMI (p = 0.015) and a better workability index (p < 0.0001). After removal of all the variables that were not independently associated with the muscle strength force, factors accounting for 52.6% of the variance in nurses handgrip strength were gender (p < 0.001), workability index (p < 0.001), duration of household work (p = 0.021), BMI (p = 0.002), perceived physical load (p < 0.001) and work schedule (p = 0.002).


CONCLUSIONS
Grip Strength Test is a useful tool to assess strength and functional capacity at work in healthcare workers. Further longitudinal studies are required to confirm this hypothesis.
School of Medicine, Occupational Health & Ergonomics Department, University of Monastir, 5019- Monastir-Tunisia.
Irtyah
I
Merchaoui
Lamia
L
Bouzgarrou
Charfeddine
C
Amri
Mohamed
M
Akrout
Jacques
J
Malchaire
Sana
S
El Mhamdi
Neila
N
Chaari
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006796:Household Work; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D053581:Muscle Strength Dynamometer; D009726:Nurses; D016272:Occupational Health; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014416:Tunisia; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation