Secular trends of hip fractures in Quebec, Canada

This study examined the secular trends of hip fracture incidence among individuals 50 years and older in Qu,bec between 1993 and 2004. Age-standardized rates decreased at both the provincial and regional levels. The largest relative decrease was observed among younger females, and rates declined more slowly in the elderly. The population of the province of Qu,bec is among the oldest in North America. Before the trend rupture reported in the late 1990s in several countries, hip fracture (HF) incidence rates did not show a secular trend (between 1981 and 1992). This study examined the secular trends of HF incidence at the provincial level and in two of the most important urban areas of the province, Montr,al and Qu,bec City, between 1993 and 2004. All hospitalisations of individuals 50 years and older living in the province of Qu,bec between 1993 and 2004 with a main diagnosis of HF were included. Standardized rates of HF incidence were calculated for females and males, 50-74 years and 75 years and older. The Qu,bec City area showed a strong decreasing trend in HF rates for younger females, but the other groups did not show an obvious trend. Although our models did not support the existence of significant differences in trends between both areas, the rates of HF of younger males and, to a lesser extent, of older women in the Montr,al area were significantly higher than in the Qu,bec City area. Differences observed in hip fracture rates as well as in secular trends between age groups and gender emphasise the need for decision makers to rely on results based on age-specific and sex-specific analyses.