Grip Strength as an Indicator of Nutritional Status Among Primary School Children in Borno State, North East Nigeria

Background: Prolonged humanitarian crises and food insecurity in North East Nigeria have placed children in Borno State at heightened risk of protein-energy malnutrition, which adversely affects musculoskeletal development. Grip strength dynamometry is an emerging, low-cost tool for evaluating nutritional status and physical capacity in resource-limited settings. Objectives: This study intends to assess handgrip strength as a surrogate marker of nutritional status among primary school children aged 6 to 12 years in Borno State and to correlate findings with anthropometric indices of malnutrition. Methods: A cross-sectional observational design will be employed. Two hundred and fifty children will be recruited from five public primary schools in Maiduguri and its environs. Grip strength will be measured using a hand-held Jamar dynamometer. Height-for-age and weight-for-age z-scores will be computed using WHO Anthro software. Spearman correlation and regression analysis will determine associations. Expected Outcomes: Stunted and underweight children are expected to exhibit significantly lower grip strength values compared to normally nourished peers, validating dynamometry as a nutritional screening tool in this context. Conclusion: Outcomes will inform targeted nutritional intervention programmes for school-age children in conflict-affected communities in Nigeria. Keywords: grip strength, nutritional status, malnutrition, primary school children, Borno.