Effects of Dietary Patterns on Hand Grip Strength in Undergraduate Medical Students
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Background: Handgrip strength is a practical indicator of muscular performance and general health, and may be influenced by habitual dietary intake. Undergraduate medical students are vulnerable to irregular eating behaviors, academic stress, and variable physical activity, but local evidence on the relationship between dietary patterns and grip strength remains limited. Objective: To determine the association between dietary patterns and dominant and non-dominant handgrip strength among undergraduate medical students. Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study included 115 undergraduate medical students aged 18–25 years from Akhtar Saeed Medical and Dental College, Lahore. Participants with systemic, neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, or hand-related conditions affecting grip performance were excluded. Dietary intake was assessed using a self-administered dietary pattern and food frequency questionnaire, and handgrip strength was measured using a hand-held dynamometer. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25, and linear regression was used to assess associations between dietary variables and grip strength. Results: Mean dominant-hand and non-dominant-hand grip strength were 33.32 ± 16.01 kg and 24.53 ± 16.12 kg, respectively. Meat consumption was positively associated with grip strength in both dominant (B = 3.940, p = .002) and non-dominant hands (B = 3.672, p = .003), while fruit consumption showed negative associations in both dominant (B = -2.977, p = .006) and non-dominant hands (B = -3.265, p = .002). No snack consumption and energy-dense snack intake were also positively associated with grip strength in both models, whereas breakfast frequency and milk and dairy consumption were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Selected dietary patterns were associated with handgrip strength among undergraduate medical students, particularly meat intake, fruit intake, and snack-related categories. Because of the cross-sectional design, findings should be interpreted as associations rather than causal effects
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