Investigation of Inter-Device Reliability Between the Squegg® Smart Dynamometer and the Baseline BIMS Digital Hand Grip Dynamometer
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58600/eurjther2738Keywords:
Squegg, BIMS, reliability, grip strengthAbstract
Objective: Accurate measurement of grip strength is crucial for evaluating muscle function and monitoring the rehabilitation process. The aim of this study was to assess the inter-device reliability of grip strength measurements obtained using the Baseline BIMS digital hand dynamometer and the Squegg smart hand dynamometer and to compare intra-rater reliability alongside measurement precision.
Methods: A cross-sectional repeated-measures design was conducted between March and April 2025 with 50 healthy young adults (mean age 19.52 ± 1.02 years; 90% right-hand dominant). The measurement order of the devices was randomized for each participant. Maximum grip strength was measured three times on both the dominant and nondominant hands using each device (Squegg® and Baseline BIMS). A 15-second rest was given between measurements, and a 15-minute rest was given between devices. Inter-device reliability was assessed using the mean of three trials with the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Intra-rater reliability was assessed using the ICC for three trials on each hand for each device. Measurement precision was evaluated using the standard error of measurement (SEM) and the minimal detectable change (MDC).
Results: Overall inter-device agreement was found to be “good” (ICC = 0.857; 95% CI [0.749–0.919]). Intra-rater reliability coefficients ranged from ICC = 0.959–0.962 for Squegg and ICC = 0.976–0.981 for BIMS, indicating “excellent” reliability for both devices. SEM values were 1.3 kg for both devices, with MDC90 values of 3.6–3.7 kg (MDC% = 8.5–9.8) for Squegg and 3.7 kg (MDC% = 8.2–9.7) for Baseline BIMS.
Conclusion: Both inter-device and intra-rater analyses demonstrated that the Squegg and Baseline BIMS devices provided consistent, reliable measurements of grip strength. Owing to its practicality, portability, and digital features, Squegg offers a reliable alternative to Baseline BIMS for clinical settings and remote monitoring applications.
References
Cooper R, Kuh D, Cooper C, Gale CR, Lawlor D, Matthews F, Hardy R (2011). Objective Measures of Physical Capability and Subsequent Health: A Systematic Review. Age Ageing. 40:14-23. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afq117
Ribeiro LW, Mielke GI, Doust J, Mishra GD (2025). Two-Decade Health-Related Quality of Life And Performance on Physical Function Tests in Midaged Women: Findings From A Prospective Cohort Study. J Clin Epidemiol. 181:111730. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2025.111730
Hart PD (2019). Grip Strength and Health-Related Quality of Life in U.S. Adult Males. J Lifestyle Med. 9:102-110. https://doi.org/10.15280/jlm.2019.9.2.102
Stevens P, Syddall H, Patel H, Martin H, Cooper C, Aihie Sayer A (2012). Is Grip Strength a Good Marker of Physical Performance Among Community-Dwelling Older People? J Nutr Health Aging. 16:769-774. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-012-0388-2
Jiang R, Westwater ML, Noble S, et al. (2022). Associations Between Grip Strength, Brain Structure, and Mental Health in >40,000 Participants from the UK Biobank. BMC Med. 20:286. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-022-02490-2
Sayer AA, Syddall HE, Martin HJ, Dennison EM, Roberts HC, Cooper C (2006). Is Grip Strength Associated with Health-Related Quality of Life? Findings From the Hertfordshire Cohort Study. Age Ageing. 35:409-415. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afl024
Cui M, Zhang S, Liu Y, Gang X, Wang G (2021). Grip Strength and the Risk of Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Cohort Studies. Front Aging Neurosci. 13:625551. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2021.625551
Leong DP, Teo KK, Rangarajan S, Lopez-Jaramillo P, Avezum A, Orlandini A, Seron P, Ahmed SH, Rosengren A, Kelishadi R, Rahman O, Swaminathan S, Iqbal R, Gupta R, Lear SA, Oguz A, Yusoff K, Zatonska K, Chifamba J, Igumbor E, DPhil SY. (2015). Prognostic Value of Grip Strength: Findings from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study. Lancet. 386:266-273. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)62000-6
Vaishya R, Misra A, Vaish A, Ursino N, D’Ambrosi R (2024). Hand Grip Strength as a Proposed New Vital Sign of Health: A Narrative Review of Evidences. J Health Popul Nutr. 43:7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41043-024-00500-y
Labott BK, Bucht H, Morat M, Morat T, Donath L (2019). Effects of Exercise Training on Handgrip Strength in Older Adults: A Meta-Analytical Review. Gerontology. 65:686-698. https://doi.org/10.1159/000501203
Massy-Westropp N, Gill T, Taylor A, Bohannon R, Hill CL (2011). Hand Grip Strength: Age and Gender Stratified Normative Data in A Population-Based Study. BMC Res Notes. 4:127. https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-0500-4-127
Mutalib SA, Mace M, Seager C, Burdet E, Mathiowetz V, Goldsmith N (2022). Modernising grip dynamometry: Inter-instrument reliability between GripAble and Jamar. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 23:80. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-022-05026-0
MacDermid J, Solomon G, Valdes K (2015). Clinical Assessment Recommendations. American Society of Hand Therapists.
Mathiowetz V, Kashman N, Volland G, Weber K, Dowe M, Rogers S (1985). Grip and Pinch Strength: Normative Data for Adults. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 66:69-74.
Mathiowetz V, Wiemer DM, Federman SM (1986). Grip and Pinch Strength: Norms for 6-to 19-Year-Olds. Am J Occup Ther. 40:705-711. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.40.10.705
Lee S-C, Wu L-C, Chiang S-L, Lu L-H, Chen C-Y, Lin C-H, Ni C-H, Lin C-H (2020). Validating the Capability for Measuring Age‐Related Changes in Grip‐Force Strength Using a Digital Hand‐Held Dynamometer in Healthy Young and Elderly Adults. Biomed Res Int. 2020:6936879. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/6936879
Roberts HC, Denison HJ, Martin HJ, Patel HP, Syddall H, Cooper C, Sayer AA (2011). A Review of the Measurement of Grip Strength in Clinical and Epidemiological Studies: Towards a Standardised Approach. Age Ageing. 40:423-429. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afr051
Hogrel J-Y (2015). Grip strength measured by high precision dynamometry in healthy subjects from 5 to 80 years. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 16:1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-015-0612-4
Mathiowetz V, Vizenor L, Melander D (2000). Comparison of Baseline Instruments to the Jamar Dynamometer and the B&L Engineering Pinch Gauge. Occup Ther J Res. 20:147-162. https://doi.org/10.1177/153944920002000301
Mathiowetz V (2002). Comparison of Rolyan and Jamar Dynamometers for Measuring Grip Strength. Occup Ther Int. 9:201-209. https://doi.org/10.1002/oti.165
Svantesson U, Nordé M, Svensson S, Brodin E (2009). A Comparative Study of the Jamar® and the Grippit® for Measuring Handgrip Strength in Clinical Practice. Isokinet Exerc Sci. 17:85-91. https://doi.org/10.3233/IES-2009-0338
Guerra RS, Amaral TF, Sousa AS, Fonseca I, Pichel F, Restivo MT (2017). Comparison of Jamar and Bodygrip Dynamometers for Handgrip Strength Measurement. J Strength Cond Res. 31:1931-1940. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000001666
Stamate A, Bertolaccini J, Deriaz M, Gunjan S, Marzan M-D, Spiru L (2023). Interinstrument Reliability Between the Squegg® Smart Dynamometer and Hand Grip Trainer and the Jamar® Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer: A Pilot Study. Am J Occup Ther. 77:7705205150. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2023.050099
Ergen HI, Kudin R, McGee CW (2024). Interrater Reliability and Precision of A Novel Hand Strength Assessment and Treatment Device: The GripAble. Am J Occup Ther. 78. https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2024.0216
Magni N, Olds M, McLaine S (2023). Reliability and Validity of the K-force Grip Dynamometer in Healthy Subjects: Do We Need to Assess It Three Times? Hand Ther. 28:33-39. https://doi.org/10.1177/17589983231152958
King TI (2013). Interinstrument Reliability of the Jamar Electronic Dynamometer and Pinch Gauge Compared with the Jamar Hydraulic Dynamometer and B&L Engineering Mechanical Pinch Gauge. Am J Occup Ther. 67:480-483. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2013.007351
Rolsted SK, Andersen KD, Dandanell G, Dall CH, Zilmer CK, Bülow K, Kristensen MT (2024). Comparison of Two Electronic Dynamometers for Measuring Handgrip Strength. Hand Surg Rehabil. 43:101692. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hansur.2024.101692
Fain E, Weatherford C (2016). Comparative Study of Millennials' (age 20–34 years) Grip and Lateral Pinch with the Norms. J Hand Ther. 29:483-488. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jht.2015.12.006
Bairapareddy K, Khaleel A, Akbar S, Maherban H, Mehdiyeva H, Rasti F, Tamim M, Abdelbasset WK, Ezzat W, Reddy RS, Tedla JS, Ramakrshnan S, Hussein RS, Alaparthi GK, Elsayed SH (2023). Validity and Reliability of Squegg Device in Measuring Isometric Handgrip Strength. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 27:10247-10254. https://doi.org/10.26355/eurrev_202311_34300
Ciro CA, James SA, McGuire H, Lepak V, Dresser S, Costner-Lark A, Robinson W, Fritz T (2022). Natural, Longitudinal Recovery of Adults with COVID-19 Using Standardized Rehabilitation Measures. Front Aging Neurosci. 14:958744. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2022.958744
random.org
Fess EE (1992). Grip strength. In: Casanova JS (ed). Clinical Assessment Recommendations. 2nd ed. Chicago, IL: American Society of Hand Therapists, pp. 41–45, 163–177.
Mathiowetz V (1990). Effects of Three Trials on Grip and Pinch Strength Measurements. J Hand Ther. 3:195-198. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0894-1130(12)80377-2
Mukaka MM (2012). A Guide to Appropriate Use of Correlation Coefficient in Medical Research. Malawi Med J. 24:69-71.
Koo TK, Li MY (2016). A Guideline of Selecting and Reporting Intraclass Correlation Coefficients for Reliability Research. J Chiropr Med. 15:155-163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2016.02.012
Haley SM, Fragala-Pinkham MA (2006). Interpreting Change Scores of Tests and Measures Used in Physical Therapy. Phys Ther. 86:735-743. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/86.5.735
De Vet HC, Terwee CB, Mokkink LB, Knol DL (2011). Measurement in Medicine: A Practical Guide. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511996214
Faul F, Erdfelder E, Lang A-G, Buchner A (2007). G*Power 3: A flexible Statistical Power Analysis Program for the Social, Behavioral, and Biomedical Sciences. Behav Res Methods. 39:175-191. https://doi.org/10.3758/bf03193146
Llaurens V, Raymond M, Faurie C (2009). Why Are Some People Left-Handed? An Evolutionary Perspective. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 364:881-894. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2008.0235
Smidt N, van der Windt DA, Assendelft WJ, Mourits AJ, Devillé WL, de Winter AF, Bouter LM (2002). Interobserver Reproducibility of the Assessment of Severity of Complaints, Grip Strength, and Pressure Pain Threshold in Patients with Lateral Epicondylitis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 83:1145-1150. https://doi.org/10.1053/apmr.2002.33728
Pratt J, De Vito G, Narici M, Segurado R, Dolan J, Conroy J, Boreham C (2021). Grip Strength Performance from 9431 Participants of the GenoFit Study: Normative Data and Associated Factors. Geroscience. 43:2533-2546. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-021-00410-5
Amin Z, Gutierrez G, True L (2024). Concurrent Validity and Test-Retest Reliability of Squegg™-Smart Dynamometer and Handgrip Trainer in Healthy Individuals. Hand Ther. 29:68-74. https://doi.org/10.1177/17589983231223868
Gąsior JS, Pawłowski M, Jeleń PJ, Rameckers EA, Williams CA, Makuch R, Werner B (2020). Test–Retest Reliability of Handgrip Strength Measurement in Children and Preadolescents. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 17:8026. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17218026
Portney LG (2020). Foundations of Clinical Research: Applications to Evidence-Based Practice. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2025 European Journal of Therapeutics
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The content of this journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
