Charbel Richa; Zahi Andraos; Marilyne El Mdawar; Georges khoury & Milivoj Dopsaj

This study aims to compare the sensitivity of Body Mass Index (BMI) and Body Composition Index (IBC) in identifying individuals with optimal health and nutritional status by evaluating their association with hand grip strength and explosive strength. A total of 303 healthy adult males and females were recruited. Anthropometric measurements and hand grip strength tests were conducted by standard procedure. Participants were categorized into low, normal, and high BMI groups, as well as under, normal, and high IBC groups. Descriptive statistics, MANOVA, and correlation analyses were performed to assess the correlation between BMI, IBC, and hand grip strength and explosive parameters. Significant differences were observed in hand grip strength and explosive strength across BMI and IBC groups. While BMI showed moderate positive correlations with absolute strength parameters, IBC exhibited stronger positive correlations with both absolute and relative strength parameters. Individuals with higher IBC demonstrated higher skeletal muscle mass and lower body fat percentage, despite lower BMI values. The study highlights the limitations of BMI in accurately reflecting body composition and suggests that IBC may offer a more sensitive assessment of health and nutritional status. Integrating alternative indices like IBC into health assessments could lead to more targeted interventions for improving health outcomes and reducing the burden of chronic diseases.

KEY WORDS: Index of body composition; Body mass index; Hand grip; Maximal force; Rate of force development.

RICHA, C.; ANDRAOS, Z.; EL MDAWAR, M.; KHOURY, G. & DOPSAJ, M. Sensitivity between BMI and IBC as screening tools for overall health and nutritional status: Insights from hand grip strength analysis among Lebanese adults. Int. J. Morphol., 42(6):1686- 1693, 2024.