A Cross-Sectional Comparison of Incisive Biting Force and Grip Strength in Males and Females Ages 10 to 24

Abstract

A cross-sectional study involving 150 subjects, both male and female, ages 10 to 24, was made to see if there was a correlation between grip strength and incisal biting force considering other variables such as age, sex, handedness, height and weight. The Collins Grip Strength Dynamometer was used to test the incisal bite force.

A nonstatistical comparison was made with other investigators' reports of grip strength versus age and a similarity in results was noted between this sample and previous samples.

Correlation coefficients (r) between all of the independent variables, except for handedness, and the incisal bite force were found to be significant at P = .01. When the stepwise regression analysis was used, only the squared term of right-hand grip was found to be significant and the rest of the independent variables were eliminated showing a curvilinear relation of right-hand grip with bite force. An R value of 0.494 and an RSQ of 0.244 were derived for the square of right grip. This means that one-fourth of the variation in incisal force was due to right-hand grip. Clinically this is not significant.

Further investigations using larger samples might shed a great deal of light on this relationship or it might prove to be unique to this sample.