Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the association between Toe grip strength (TGS) and physical performance among preschool children in Japan.
Methods: TGS was evaluated in 338 preschool children (178 boys, 160 girls), 4–6 years of age. The following physical performance tests were measured: hand grip strength (HGS), 25-m sprint run, 5-m shuttle run, standing long jump, and tennis ball throw, were measured. Participants were divided into five age groups of 6-month intervals, from the early 4-years-old group (48-53 months) to the early 6-years-old group (72-78 months). TGS was analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance, with a post-hoc test to assess between-sex differences and age-related changes. Associations between TGS and descriptive characteristics and physical performance were assessed using multivariate linear regression analysis.
Results: TGS increased with development, being significantly greater in the early 6-years-old group than in the early and late 4-years-old group and early 5-years-old group. There was no between-sex difference in TGS within the same age group. TGS was associated with age in months and weight, but not with sex and height. TGS was also significantly associated with the 25-m sprint run, 5-m shuttle run and standing long jump performance, regardless of age, anthropometrics and HGS, in both sex, with the exception of the 5-m shuttle run in boys.
Conclusion: TGS increased with age and was associated with enhanced lower-limb physical performance among preschool children and could provide a useful predictor of physical performance in this population.

Keywords: Toes; Muscle; Strength; Physical performance; Fitness; Children; Preschooler