CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF HIP-FRACTURES IN TH E METROPOLITAN REGION OF CHILE

Background: Hip fracture is a preventable cause of disability among el derly people. Aim: To study factors associated to hip fractures in Chi le. Patients and methods: Patients admitted to seven public hospitals in Chile, with hip fracture not due to major accidents, were considere d as cases. To each, at least one age and sex matched hospitalized con trol, without or neoplastic diseases, was assigned. All patients were subjected to an inquiry, using and instrument devised by the WHO. Resu lts: Two hundred sixty eight cases and 501 controls were studied. Case s and controls has similar educational and labor histories. The right hip was fractures in 47% of cases and the left in the rest. Compared w ith controls, cases had a higher body mass index, loss of height durin g life, rate of hysterectomy, incidence of smoking and a lower consump tion of diary products. Cases had higher risk of falls inside their ho mes and controls outside. Conclusions: The obtained information may co ntribute to the development of preventive measures and reduce the publ ic health impact of hip fracture.