EFFECT OF KYPHOTIC ANGLE ON HAND GRIP STRENGTH AMONG THE STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FAISALABAD
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71000/dht87b49Keywords:
Age Factors, Grip Strength, Kyphosis, Musculoskeletal Health, Posture, Spine Curvatures, Sedentary LifestyleAbstract
Background: Hyper-kyphosis, an exaggerated curvature of the thoracic spine, is increasingly prevalent among university students due to sedentary lifestyles and poor ergonomic habits. This postural deviation can contribute to musculoskeletal imbalances, impaired function, and possibly reduced muscular strength. Evaluating the relationship between hyper-kyphosis and physical performance parameters such as hand grip strength is essential to understand its broader impact on student health and inform preventive strategies.
Objective: The primary objective of this study was to assess the relationship between age and hyper-kyphosis among university students. A secondary aim was to determine whether kyphotic curvature affects hand grip strength and daily physical performance.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 264 male students aged 18–25 years from The University of Faisalabad, Amin Campus. Participants were selected based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Kyphotic angles were measured using a Flexi curve ruler, with calculations based on the kyphosis index. Hand grip strength (HGS) was assessed using a hydraulic hand dynamometer, with the average of three attempts recorded for analysis. Descriptive statistics, mean comparisons, and Pearson correlation analysis were conducted using IBM SPSS version 27.
Results: A significant positive correlation was observed between age and kyphotic angle (r = 0.952, p < 0.001). Mean kyphotic angle increased from 43.06° ± 0.55 in the 18–19 age group to 52.34° ± 1.40 in the 24–25 age group. Similarly, students in senior semesters exhibited higher kyphotic angles (49.52° ± 3.63) compared to junior semesters (45.14° ± 2.86). However, the correlation between hyper-kyphotic angle and hand grip strength was weak and statistically insignificant (r = 0.092, p = 0.136).
Conclusion: This study concluded that kyphotic curvature significantly increases with age among students, yet does not show a meaningful impact on hand grip strength. Early postural assessment is essential to mitigate potential long-term musculoskeletal dysfunction.
References
Isogawa M, Yuan Y, O'Toole M, Kitani KM, editors. Optical non-line-of-sight physics-based 3d human pose estimation. Proceedings of the IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition; 2020.
Vargas-Pinilla OC, Rodríguez-Grande EI. Reproducibility and agreement between three positions for handgrip assessment. Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):12906.
van Bergen NG, Soekarjo K, Van der Kamp J, Orth D. Reliability and Validity of Functional Grip Strength Measures Across Holds and Body Positions in Climbers: Associations With Skill and Climbing Performance. Res Q Exerc Sport. 2023;94(3):627-37.
Carbonari B, Balducci F, Cesaretti G, Cesanelli L, Botticelli D, Messina G. Performance, balance and posture variations with Occlusal Splint and Taopatch® devices: a retrospettive cross-over study. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2021;61(2):317-23.
Madaleno FO, Verhagen E, Ferreira TV, Ribeiro T, Ocarino JM, Resende RA. Normative reference values for handgrip strength, shoulder and ankle range of motion and upper-limb and lower limb stability for 137 youth judokas of both sexes. J Sci Med Sport. 2021;24(1):41-5.
D'Souza AW, Moore JP, Manabe K, Lawley JS, Washio T, Hissen SL, et al. The interactive effects of posture and biological sex on the control of muscle sympathetic nerve activity during rhythmic handgrip exercise. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2024;327(2): R133-r44.
Alterman BL, Ali S, Keeton E, Binkley K, Hendrix W, Lee PJ, et al. Grasp Posture Variability Leads to Greater Ipsilateral Sensorimotor Beta Activation During Simulated Prosthesis Use. J Mot Behav. 2024;56(5):579-91.
Elgendy MH, Ghaffar MAA, Sabbahi SAE, Abutaleb EES, Elsayed SEB. Efficacy of head postural correction program on craniovertebral angle, scapular position, and dominant hand grip strength in forward head posture subjects: A randomized controlled trial. Physiother Res Int. 2024;29(3): e2093.
Opsomer L, Crevecoeur F, Thonnard JL, McIntyre J, Lefèvre P. Distinct adaptation patterns between grip dynamics and arm kinematics when the body is upside-down. J Neurophysiol. 2021;125(3):862-74.
Romano D, Mioli A, D'Alonzo M, Maravita A, Di Lazzaro V, Di Pino G. Behavioral and Physiological Evidence of a favored Hand Posture in the Body Representation for Action. Cereb Cortex. 2021;31(7):3299-310.
Kamasaki T, Tabira T, Suenaga T, Yoshida T, Shimokihara S, Maruta M, et al. Association between toe pressure strength in the standing position and postural control capability in healthy adults. Gait Posture. 2023; 103:86-91.
Cattuzzo MT, de Santana FS, Safons MP, Ré AHN, Nesbitt DR, Santos ABD, et al. Assessment in the Supine-To-Stand Task and Functional Health from Youth to Old Age: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(16).
De Marco JCP, de Araújo Pinto A, Brazo-Sayavera J, Külkamp W, de Lima TR, Pelegrini A. Secular trends and sociodemographic, biological, and behavioural factors associated with handgrip strength in adolescents in southern Brazil: An allometric approach. J Sports Sci. 2024;42(9):776-84.
KARACAN K, ÇELİK H, ERDOĞAN MJJoCM. Evaluation of the Relationship between Internet Addiction and the Thoracal Kyphosis Angle on Medical Faculty Students. 2021;11(1):57-61.
Karimizadeh Ardakani M, Soroush Fard Z, Amirizadeh F, Naderifar HJJoRS, Research. Effect of thoracic hyper-kyphosis posture on upper extremity function of female students. 2022;9(1):30-5.
Cepková A, Zemková E, Šooš Ľ, Uvaček M, Muyor JM. Spinal curvature in female and male university students with prolonged bouts of sedentary behaviour. 2022.
Dixit S, Gular K, Gautam AP, Reddy RS, Ahmad I, Tedla JS, et al. Association between Handgrip Strength, Skinfold Thickness, and Trunk Strength among University Students. 2023;13(5):904.
Abdelbasset W, Ibrahim A, Alsubaie S, Alrawaili S, Althomali O, Hussein H, et al. Awareness and knowledge of breast cancer rehabilitation among Saudi Arabia physical therapists. 2023;27(12).
Alshahrani A, Samy Abdrabo M, Aly SM, Alshahrani MS, Alqhtani RS, Asiri F, et al. Effect of smartphone usage on neck muscle endurance, hand grip and pinch strength among healthy college students: A cross-sectional study. 2021;18(12):6290.
Sawant V, Patil PJIJoFM, Toxicology. Effect of Upper Body Strength Training in Spatiotemporal Parameters of Gait In Individual with Thoracic Kyphosis. 2020;14(2).
Mosaad DM, Abdel-aziem AA, Mohamed GI, Abd-Elaty EA, Mohammed KSJBofopt. Effect of forward head and rounded shoulder posture on hand grip strength in asymptomatic young adults: a cross-sectional study. 2020;25(1):1-8.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Muhammad Muneeb jafar, Faizan Ahmed , Jyesha Mustafa, Maryam Farooq, Kibsha Ghulam Hussain, Rehman Akhter (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
