ANALYSIS OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND PALMAR, LUMBAR AND SCAPULAR GRIP STRENGTH IN MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER WOMEN

REIS FILHO, A. D.; SANTINI, E.; NEVES, T.; FETT, W. C. R.; FETT, C. A. Analysis of nutritional status and palmar, lumbar and scapular grip strength in middle-aged and older women. Brazilian Journal of Biomotricity. v. 6, n. 4, p. 245-253, 2012. The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the levels of force by means of static dynamometry and nutritional status in women of middle age and older. The sample consisted of 31 physically active women, who attended the project "Physical Activity and Health to the Reach of All" performed by the course of Physical Education, University Center of Várzea Grande (UNIVAG). The volunteers were divided into two groups, 20 in middle-aged women group (51.1 ± 6.3) and 11 elderly group (64.5 ± 3.6). We evaluated the hand-grip strength (HGS), traction lumbar (TL) and scapular traction (ET). We also evaluated the body mass index (BMI), the adequacy of the triceps skinfold (aTS) and waist circumference (WC) for later correlation with the levels of force. There was no statistical difference between the anthropometric variables in both groups. The levels of force, there was only statistical difference for lumbar traction (p=0.04) and tendency to draw scapula (p=0.06) between groups. When correlated strength levels (HGS, TL and TE) and anthropometric variables (BMI, aTS and WC), there was only a trend toward significance between the HGS dominant hand versus BMI (r= -0.40; p=0.08) and HGS versus aTS the dominant hand (r= -0.40; p=0.08), both for the group of middle-aged women. In conclusion, the loss of strength is more pronounced in large muscle groups (lumbar traction and scapular) than in small (HGS), particularly for older women.