Association of difficulties in daily physical activities and handgrip strength with cancer diagnoses in 65,980 European older adults

Background: People with cancer usually report physical deconditioning, which can limit daily activities.

Aims: Our aim was to analyze associations between daily physical activities and handgrip strength with cancer diagnoses among European older adults.

Methods: We used data from SHARE (a representative survey of individuals aged 50 years or older) wave 7, residing in 27 European countries and Israel. Participants self-reported difficulties in daily physical activities and cancer diagnoses, and handgrip strength was objectively assessed using a handheld dynamometer. Data was analyzed using binary logistic regression.

Results: Overall, 65,980 participants (average age 67.6 years (SD = 9.4)) were analyzed. Having difficulties in any daily physical activity was significantly associated with higher odds of cancer diagnoses. Lower handgrip strength was significantly associated with cancer diagnoses among participants included in the first (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.27 [95%CI =1.11-1.45]) and the second third (AOR = 1.15 [95%CI =1.03-1.28]) when compared with participants from the last third in the final adjusted model.

Discussion: Having difficulties in daily physical activities as well as lower levels of handgrip strength is positively associated with cancer diagnoses.

Conclusion: Adults with difficulties lifting or carrying weights over 5 kilos or having difficulties in two or more activities showed critical associations with cancer diagnosis.