[Handgrip strength and flexibility and their association with anthropometric variables in the elderly].

OBJECTIVE To verify the correlation between handgrip strength (HGS) and flexibility with age and anthropometric variables in the elderly. METHODS This was a cross-sectional home-based study of elderly individuals enrolled in the Family Health Strategy of Campina Grande/PB. Gender, age, HGS, flexibility, arm muscle circumference (AMC), corrected arm muscle area (CAMA), and body mass index (BMI) were recorded. RESULTS A total of 420 elderly individuals were evaluated. Correlations of HGS with age, AMC and CAMA, in both genders, were observed. BMI correlated with HGS only in females. Flexibility correlated with BMI in males. In the multivariate analysis, age and AMC were predictive variables of the HGS variation in females. In males, age was the only variable predictive of HGS, and BMI was the predictor of flexibility variation. CONCLUSION The results indicate a probable influence of age and anthropometric variables in muscular strength, as well as that of excess weight in flexibility limitation.