Handgrip strength has declined among people from Macao Special Administrative Region: A temporal trend analysis from 2001 to 2020.

Handgrip strength is a robust measure of muscular strength and overall health. This study examined temporal trends in handgrip strength among individual aged 6 to 69 years in the Macao Special Administrative Region between 2001 and 2020. The population was stratified by age, and repeated cross-sectional data were obtained from a nationally representative sample of 41,685 participants across five survey years: 2001, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020. Temporal trends were analysed using general linear models, adjusted for sex, age, height, and weight, with distributional characteristics quantified using the coefficients of variation ratios. Over the 20-year period, handgrip strength declined significantly by 4.5 kg [effect size (ES) = -0.82)], with males (6.0 kg; ES = -0.91) experiencing a larger decline than females (2.2 kg; ES = -0.49). The greatest declines were observed in children (ES = -0.2), adolescents (ES = -0.55) and young adults (ES = -0.52). Middle-aged adults showed a small improvement (ES = 0.2), while older adults displayed no significant change. Distributional variability trends were negligible. These findings raise concerns about population health, as low handgrip strength is linked to chronic diseases and mortality. Continuous surveillance and interventions are essential to enhance muscular strength and public health.