Hand anthropometric measurement and grip strength for basketball and volleyball players in higher institutions in Port Harcourt metropolis

This cross-sectional study was performed to compare hand anthropometric measurements and grip strength among two different sports. The study group was composed of 41 basketball players(21 males, 20 females) and 39 volleyball players(20 males, 19 females), aged between 19-30 years. A Vernier Caliper (Shan, 200mm) with resolution of 0.01m/0.0005 inch was used for hand anthropometric measurement. During measurements values for each hand were obtained. Eight parameters were evaluated for each hand. For statistical analyses, One Way ANOVA for parametric conditions and Kruskal-Wallis Variance Analyses for subgroup which were nonparametric conditions were performed. The differences between the groups were evaluated with post hoc Bonferroni adjustments. Statistically significant differences were observed between basketball and volleyball players in right-hand and left-hand width, right and left digit index, hand length/height ratio. In females, significant differences were also observed in right- and left-hand width, third finger length, and grip strength. Male basketball players recorded higher grip strength compared to volleyball players, while female basketball players also demonstrated stronger grip than female volleyball players. These findings suggest different sports could constitute different effects on hand anthropometric measurements and grip strength.