• Y Y E Wong, L Flicker, G Draper, M M Y Lai, and N Waldron.
• Western Australian Centre for Health and Ageing, Centre for Medical Research, Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Department of Geriatric Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
• Intern Med J. 2013 Dec 1; 43 (12): 128712921287-92.

BackgroundMinimal trauma hip fractures are prevalent in Australia. The incidence rate and trend of hip fractures in Indigenous Western Australians have not been formally reported.AimsTo evaluate incidence rates and trend of minimal trauma hip fractures in Indigenous and other Western Australians aged 40 years and over in 1999-2009 METHODS: Hip fracture data were obtained from an administrative database for all hospitalisations in Western Australia. Age-standardised incidence rates were calculated using direct standardisation, and standardised rate ratios were calculated using the indirect method. Trend in incidence rates were calculated using Poisson regression.ResultsIn 1999-2009, 11,844 admissions for minimal trauma hip fractures were reported among Western Australians aged 40 years and over, of which 201 were recorded as indigenous. The age-standardised hip fracture rate was 273.0 (95% confidence interval (CI) 230.7-315.4) per 100,000 person-years for indigenous adults and 148.8 (95% CI 146.1-151.5) per 100,000 person-years for non-indigenous adults. The standardised morbidity ratio was 2.2 (95% CI 1.9-2.5). Over this period, age-standardised rates increased by an average of 7.2% per year among indigenous adults (P = 0.006), whereas non-indigenous rates fell by an average of 3.4% per year (P < 0.001). The relatively higher rates among indigenous adults were more evident in the younger age groups.ConclusionThere is a widening gap in minimal trauma hip fracture rates between indigenous and other Western Australians. This study demonstrates a need for public health review and management strategies to reduce falls and hip fracture in the indigenous community.© 2012 The Authors; Internal Medicine Journal © 2012 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

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