The objective of this study was to verify the predictive validity of reference equations for hand grip strength (HGS) in middle-aged and elderly Brazilian men. We evaluated 60 men with age of 58.7±8.6 years, height 168.7±8.0 cm, body mass 67.9±13.0 kg, and body mass index 23.7±4.0 kg/m², utilizing the gold standard equipment for evaluation of HGS and following all methodological recommendations of the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASTH). The results of the Bland-Altman diagram for the dominant hand (DH) had a mean error (bias) of -8.4% (95%CI -51.6-34.7). The Bland-Altman diagram for the non-dominant hand (NDH) had a mean error (bias) of 1.4% (95%CI -47.1-49.8). The calculation of Cronbach's alpha was 0.69 for the DH and 0.59 for the NDH. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.52 (95%CI 31-68) for the DH and 0.42 (95%CI 20-60) for the NDH. We therefore conclude that the reference equations for HGS evaluated in this study has low predictive validity for a population of Brazilian men middle-aged and elderly, and may lead to a misinterpretation of the results.
validation studies; hand strength; measurements; muscle strength dynamometer
