Handgrip Strength and the Association Between Depression and Cancer in Older Adults

Abstract

Objective

We investigated the effects of handgrip strength (HGS) on the relationship between depression and 23 types of cancers in a large sample of European adults aged 50 and over (n = 93,545) from 28 countries.

Methods

We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), collected between 2013 and 2021. We used logistic regression with an interaction term to specifically assess the moderating role of HGS in this relationship.

Results

Participants with depression exhibited a higher risk of cancer than those without depression (8.5% vs. 4.7%, respectively). The risk of cancer was higher among participants with low HGS than those with normal HGS (7.78% vs. 5.48%, respectively). HGS moderated the relationship between depression and cancer (β = 0.00277, p < 0.001), across the range of depression scores (0–10 on the Euro-D scale).

Conclusion

Higher HGS strengthens the association between depression and cancer in old age.

Keywords

depression cancer handgrip strength European old age

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