Arm-Hand Use in Healthy Older Adults

OBJECTIVE. Our objectives were (1) to quantify arm hand use of older adults without a disability and to determine the effects of hand dominance, gender, and day on hand usage and (2) to determine the factors that predict arm hand use. This information will enhance understanding of the extent of the client's occupational performance. METHOD. Twenty men and 20 women, ages 65-85, wore wrist and hip accelerometers for 7 consecutive days. Manual dexterity and grip strength were assessed. A three-way factorial analysis of variance and multiple linear regressions were conducted. RESULTS. The activity kilocounts from both wrist accelerometers revealed a significant interaction effect between hand and gender (F[1, 190] = 24.4, p < .001). Enhanced manual dexterity of the right hand was associated with greater right-hand use. CONCLUSION. Arm hand use is a novel dimension of hand function measuring the extent of real-life occupational performance in the client's home.