Mixed
Handgrip strength reference ranges vary significantly by geographic region and ethnicity, meaning a single global standard is invalid for clinical risk stratification.
If you are using handgrip strength to assess your health or frailty risk, do not compare your score to a generic global chart. Your 'normal' depends heavily on your geographic region and ethnicity. Use region-specific reference ranges to accurately interpret your strength levels, as values in South Asia or Africa are naturally lower than those in Europe or North America.
The key finding from this analysis is that median HGS differs among the geographic regions and ethnic groups studied. Therefore individual HGS measurements should be interpreted using region/ethnic-specific reference ranges.
Why this rating
Large-scale prospective cohort study (n=125,462) across 21 countries.
Source
Reference ranges of handgrip strength from 125,462 healthy adults in 21 countries: a prospective urban rural epidemiologic (PURE) study
Darryl P. Leong et al. · Journal of Cachexia Sarcopenia and Muscle · 2016
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →