Muscle Strength and Quality of Life in Malaysian Adults with Low and Moderate to High Risk of Osteoporotic Fractures

Abstract

Reduced muscle strength and quality of life (QoL) has an impact on adults at risk of osteoporotic fractures. Muscle strength and QoL among Malaysian adults at risk of osteoporotic fractures is not known. The aim of our study was to examine muscle strength and QoL status and its relationship among adults at low and moderate to high risk of osteoporotic fractures. In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 27 men and 78 women with mean age 69.3 ± 8.5 years from Orthopaedic Clinic, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. A 10-year probability of major osteoporotic fractures were calculated according to WHO fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX) with femoral neck BMD (cut-point 10%). Participants were categorized as low and moderate to high risk of osteoporotic fractures based on FRAX results. Back extensor muscle strength (BES) and dominant hand grip strength (HGS) was measured using a load cell system and a hand dynamometer respectively. European QoL questionnaire (EQ5Dvas) was used to measure QoL. Multiple linear regression was performed with QoL as a dependent variable and back extensor muscle strength and hand grip strength as the independent variables. Approximate 40% of adults were categorized into moderate to high risk of osteoporotic fractures. The mean values among the low and moderate to high risk of osteoporotic fractures for QoL was 80.5 ± 13.2 and 76.9 ± 16.9 (p = 0.77); hand grip strength was 25.7 ± 17.3 and 20.6 ± 5.5 kg (p < 0.001) and back extensor strength was 25.0 ± 7.0 and 18.9 ± 9.5 Newton (p < 0.01) respectively. Hand grip muscle strength appeared to be a determinant of QoL and accounted for 5.8% of the total variance. Improved muscle strength may lead in better QoL among adults at risk of osteoporotic fractures. DOI : http://dx.doi.org./10.17576/JSKM-2018-31