Demographic Study of Hip Fractures in the Maltese Islands

Overview

Journal Geriatr Orthop Surg Rehabil

Publisher Sage Publications

Specialty Geriatrics

Date 2018 May 16

PMID 29760964

Citations 2

Authors

Mark Bugeja

Simon Aquilina

Charles Farrugia

Ivan Esposito

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Despite hip fractures being a great public health burden, only few studies have analyzed the relationship between hip fracture incidence and socioeconomic status. Many studies found an association; however, results are in part conflicting.

Objective: To analyze the impact of regional-level socioeconomic status on the incidence of hip fractures in the Maltese Islands.

Method: All individuals older than 50 years who presented to the acute care hospitals in Malta and Gozo with low-energy hip fractures between December 1, 2015, and November 30, 2016, were selected. Data on individual demographics, hip fracture type, surgical intervention, and hospital stay were collected. The percentage of hip fracture and socioeconomic status of each region in the Maltese Islands were calculated. These were then analyzed for any statistical association.

Results: A moderate negative correlation ( = -0.5987, N = 454, < .05) was found between the socioeconomic status and the incidence of hip fracture in each region. There was 5.9% (n = 27) mortality rate posed by these hip fractures. The average duration of hospital stay was 14 days, with an average delay to surgical intervention of 2 days.

Conclusion: Despite the Maltese Islands having a small population (429 344 people) and a free universal national health service, our results show that districts with low socioeconomic status had a higher incidence of hip fracture. Further studies using individual socioeconomic data and longer duration are required.

Citing Articles

Hip Fractures in Malta: Are we Missing an Opportunity?.

Bugeja M, Curmi A, Desira D, Bologna G, Galea F, Esposito I Surg J (N Y). 2021; 7(3):e184-e190.

PMID: 34307876 PMC: 8298135. DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1731635.

Risk Factors Associated With Hip Fractures among Adult People in Babylon City, Iraq.

Al-Algawy A, Baiee H, Hasan S, Jassim I, Razaq M, Kamel F Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2020; 7(21):3608-3614.

PMID: 32010385 PMC: 6986518. DOI: 10.3889/oamjms.2019.734.

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