Associations between muscular strength and mental health in cognitively normal older adults: a cross-sectional study from the AGUEDA trial

• Darío Bellón ^[1] ; María Rodriguez-Ayllon ^[2] ; Patricio Solis-Urra ^[1] ; Beatriz Fernandez-Gamez ^[1] ; Marcos Olvera-Rojas ^[1] ; Andrea Coca-Pulido ^[1] ; Angel Toval ^[1] ; Isabel Martín-Fuentes ^[1] ; Esmée A. Bakker ^[1] ; Alessandro Sclafani ^[1] ; Javier Fernández-Ortega ^[1] ; Verónica Cabanas-Sánchez ^[3] ; Jose Mora-Gonzalez ^[1] ; Manuel Gómez-Río ^[4] ; David R. Lubans ^[5] ; Francisco B. Ortega ^[1] ; Irene Esteban-Cornejo ^[1]
  1. [1] Universidad de Granada

     Universidad de Granada

     Granada, España

     
  2. [2] University Medical Center

     University Medical Center

     Estados Unidos

     
  3. [3] Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

     Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

     Madrid, España

     
  4. [4] Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves

     Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves

     Granada, España

     
  5. [5] The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia

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• Localización: International journal of clinical and health psychology, ISSN 1697-2600, Vol. 24, Nº. 2, 2024, págs. 101-110
• Idioma: inglés
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  • Objective To examine the associations between muscular strength and mental health.

    Design We used baseline data of 91 cognitively healthy older adults (71.69 ± 3.91 years old, 57 % women) participating in the AGUEDA randomized controlled trial.

    Methods Muscular strength was assessed using both objective (i.e., handgrip strength, biceps curl, squats, and isokinetic test) and perceived (i.e., International Fitness Scale) indicators. Psychological ill-being indicators: anxiety, depression, stress, and loneliness; and psychological well-being indicators: satisfaction with life, self-esteem, and emotional well-being) were assessed using a set of valid and reliable self-reported questionnaires. Linear regression analyses were performed adjusting for sex, age, years of education, body mass index , alcohol, diet, and smoking (model 1), and additionally by cardiorespiratory fitness (model 2).

    Results Elbow extension was positively associated with stress in model 1 (β = 0.252, 95 % Confidence Interval [95 % CI] = 0.007 to 0.497, p = 0.044), and even after further adjustment for cardiorespiratory fitness (β = 0.282, 95 % CI = 0.032 to 0.532, p = 0.028). Perceived strength was negatively associated with depressive symptoms in model 1 (β = -0.271, 95 % CI = -0.491 to -0.049, p = 0.017) and model 2 reported associations tending towards significant (β = -0.220, 95 % CI = -0.445 to 0.005, p = 0.055). Handgrip strength was positively associated with self-esteem in model 1 (β = 0.558, 95 % CI = 0.168 to 0.949, p = 0.006) and model 2 (β = 0.546, 95 % CI = 0.135 to 0.956, p = 0.010). No further associations were found among other muscular strength and mental health variables.

    Conclusion Handgrip had a moderate association with self-esteem and there was a small association between perceived strength with depressive symptoms and elbow extension with stress. No other associations were observed between muscular strength and mental health outcomes in cognitively normal older adults.