Introduction:

Some studies have found a relationship between excess weight and low relative grip strength. In countries with medium and low socioeconomic income, there is little evidence evaluating grip strength and its relationship with body composition in the pediatric population.

Objective:

To evaluate the correlation between grip strength and body composition of schoolchildren from Bucaramanga, Colombia.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional, analytical, correlational pilot study was conducted. Schoolchildren from Bucaramanga, Colombia participated. The main dependent variables were muscle mass, total body water, protein (kg), and percentage of body fat. The independent variable corresponded to the prehensile force. Spearman's Correlation Coefficient was used to explore the relationship between variables.

Results:

The average prehensile force in the total sample was 13.8±3.2 Newton. Positive and statistically significant correlations were found between grip strength and musculoskeletal mass (r=0.73), total body water (r=0.73), and protein (r=0.74).

Discussion:

Our results are consistent with previous evidence that identifies grip strength as an indicator of body composition, specifically in the variables of musculoskeletal mass and protein.

Conclusion:

Children in the highest tertile of prehensile strength present the highest tertiles of skeletal muscle mass, total body water, and protein.