Incorporating Handgrip Assessment into Clinical Care: A Feasibility Test of the Healthy Aging Intervention

Abstract

Age-related muscle loss is associated with a wide range of negative consequences. Handgrip strength (HGS) assessment provides information about age-related muscle loss, and strength training is one lifestyle factor that helps preserve muscle mass. Whether information about HGS and its link to health outcomes can impact patients is unknown. The Healthy Aging intervention pairs HGS feedback with information about age-related muscle loss and protective steps one can take. Objective: The objective was to gather feasibility information of the Healthy Aging intervention. Methods: Participants (N = 177) recruited from a primary care clinic were randomly assigned to the Healthy Aging intervention (N = 86) or control condition (N = 91). Participants completed a survey that assessed readiness to engage in strength training behaviors and provided feedback on the intervention (e.g., useful, easy to understand). Results: Recruitment yielded a sample with age M = 63.03 years, SD = 13.31, 52% of whom reported having engaged in no days of strength training in the past week. Ninety one percent of patients found HGS feedback useful, and 75% found the information easy to understand. Trends in behavioral readiness to change favored the intervention. Conclusion: Results support moving towards a sufficiently powered efficacy trial of the Healthy Aging intervention.