Investigating the effect of wearing medical gloves on grip strength and manual dexterity

Hospital and medical staff use medical gloves to protect themselves and their patients from infectious agents. Wearing gloves may reduce manual dexterity and grip strength and interfere with work performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of wearing medical gloves on grip strength, manual dexterity, and perceived comfort.

20 people (10 women, 10 men) participated in this study. Participants were tested in three gloveless modes, with latex gloves and with nitrile gloves with two tests, a 9-hole pegboard and a modified pegboard. Perceived comfort in working with gloves, wearing and removing gloves was also assessed using a subjective scale.

The age range of participants was 20 to 40 years with an average of 29.45 years. There was a significant difference in manual dexterity between gloveless hands and nitrile gloves in the 9-hole pegboard test. In the modified pegboard test, gloveless hand manual dexterity was significantly different from both latex and nitrile gloves. The results also showed that wearing any type of glove significantly reduced the grip strength of individuals. The worst comfort rating was given to wearing gloves.

The results of this study showed that wearing gloves reduces manual dexterity and grip strength. A modified pegboard test is also recommended to assess the manual dexterity of medical gloves. Latex and Nitrile gloves are difficult to wear and should be considered in designs.