Examining Handgrip Strength in Persons Living With HIV in United States, Thailand, and South Africa: A Cross-Sectional Study

Frailty is associated with adverse clinical outcomes and includes muscle weakness measured as handgrip strength in the lowest 20%. Our study quantitatively examined handgrip strength in people living with HIV (PWH; N = 653) compared with reference norms using data from the National Institutes of Health toolbox project. In every age/gender category, the handgrip strength of PWH was significantly lower than reference norms. Although handgrip strength generally declines after midlife with losses accelerating with increasing age, we found this trend in PWH women but not in men. Handgrip is critical in completing daily activities such as opening medication and food containers and carrying bags of groceries. Despite comparatively low handgrip strength, we did not find significant relationships between handgrip strength of PWH and medication adherence, physical function, social health, or pain interference. Overall, our findings suggest the need for further exploration as to how significantly impaired handgrip strength affects activities of daily living and self-care management.