Muscular strength, mobility in daily life and mental wellbeing among older adult Inuit in Greenland. The Greenland population health survey 2018

ABSTRACTThe purpose was to analyse the association of muscular strength, muscle pain and reduced mobility in daily life with mental wellbeing among older Inuit men and women in Greenland. Data (N = 846) was collected as part of a countrywide cross-sectional health survey in 2018. Hand grip strength and 30-seconds chair stand test were measured according to established protocols. Mobility in daily life was assessed by five questions about the ability to perform specific activities of daily living. Mental wellbeing was assessed by questions about self-rated health, life satisfaction and Goldberg’s General Health Questionnaire. In binary multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for age and social position, muscular strength (OR 0.87–0.94) and muscle pain (OR 1.53–1.79) were associated with reduced mobility. In fully adjusted models, muscle pain (OR 0.68–0.83) and reduced mobility (OR 0.51–0.55) but were associated with mental wellbeing. Chair stand score was associated with life satisfaction (OR 1.05). With an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, increasing prevalence of obesity and increasing life expectancy the health consequences of musculoskeletal dysfunction are expected to grow. Prevention and clinical handling of poor mental health among older adults need to consider reduced muscle strength, muscle pain and reduced mobility as important determinants

The Greenland population health survey 2018 - methods of a prospective study of risk factors for lifestyle related diseases and social determinants of health amongst Inuit

Since 1993, regular population health surveys in Greenland have supported and monitored the public health strategy of Greenland and have monitored cardiometabolic and lung diseases. The most recent of these surveys included 2539 persons aged 15+ from 20 communities spread over the whole country. The survey instruments included personal interviews, self-administered questionnaires, blood sampling, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, ECG, oral glucose test, pulmonary function, hand grip strength and chair stand test. Blood samples were analysed for glucose, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), insulin, incretin hormones, cholesterol, kidney function, fatty acids in erythrocyte membranes and mercury, urine for albumin-creatinine ratio, and aliquots were stored at −80°C for future use. Data were furthermore collected for studies of the gut microbiome and diabetes complications. Survey participants were followed up with register data. The potential of the study is to contribute to the continued monitoring of risk factors and health conditions as part of Greenland’s public health strategy and to study the epidemiology of cardiometabolic diseases and other chronic diseases and behavioural risk factors. The next population health survey is planned for 2024. The emphasis of the article is on the methods of the study and results will be presented in other publications

Public health restrictions, directives, and measures in Arctic countries in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic

Beginning January of 2020, COVID-19 cases detected in Arctic countries triggered government policy responses to stop transmission and limit caseloads beneath levels that would overwhelm existing healthcare systems. This review details the various restrictions, health mandates, and transmission mitigation strategies imposed by governments in eight Arctic countries (the United States, Canada, Greenland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, and Russia) during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, through 31 January 2021s31 January 2021. We highlight formal protocols and informal initiatives adopted by local communities in each country, beyond what was mandated by regional or national governments. This review documents travel restrictions, communications, testing strategies, and use of health technology to track and monitor COVID-19 cases. We provide geographical and sociocultural background and draw on local media and communications to contextualise the impact of COVID-19 emergence and prevention measures in Indigenous communities in the Arctic. Countries saw varied case rates associated with local protocols, governance, and population. Still, almost all regions maintained low COVID-19 case rates until November of 2020. This review was produced as part of an international collaboration to identify community-driven, evidence-based promising practices and recommendations to inform pan-Arctic collaboration and decision making in public health during global emergencies