The 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.
Keywords: Greenland; Inuit; mental wellbeing; mobility in daily life; muscle pain; muscular strength; older adults.