INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON OF HIP FRACTURE RATES IN 1988-89

A comparison of hip fracture rates among nine countries (Canada, Chile , Finland, Hong Kong, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States and Venezuela) was made using national hospital discharge data for th e same time interval. The rates increased by age and were higher for f emales than males in all nine countries. When based on overall dischar ge rates, the incidence of hip fracture appeared high in three Europea n countries (Finland, Scotland and Sweden) relative to the other count ries. However, when transfer cases were removed and adjustments made f or differences in case definition, the risk of hip fracture for both m en and women was much similar among the four European and two North Am erican countries, but higher than in Hong Kong. Rates of fracture were lowest in Venezuela and Chile, varying from three to 11 times less th an for residents of the other seven countries. Although there are limi tations in using hospital discharge data as a measure of incidence, th e wide variation in the risk of hip fracture across the nine countries appears real but differences between North American and north Europea n countries may not be as great as previously reported. Such cross-nat ional comparisons may help clarify different etiologic hypotheses.