Comparing reports from hip-fracture patients and their proxies: implications on evaluating sex differences in disability and depressive symptoms.
OBJECTIVE
This study compared sex differences in disability and depressive symptoms using reports from hip fracture patients and their proxies.


METHODS
Hip fracture patients (49 men, 183 women) aged ≥65 years and proxies were interviewed 1 year postfracture. Outcomes were Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) and number of dependencies in performing activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living.


RESULTS
Mean ADL sex differences (men minus women) were 0.40 (p = .37) using proxy reports and 0.70 (p = .08) using patient self-reports. Mean CES-D sex differences were -3.60 (p = .02) using proxy reports and -1.26 (p = .38) using patient self-reports. Discrepancies between patients and proxies were smallest for proxies who have lived with the patient ≥ 1 year.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients and proxies produced conflicting conclusions about sex differences. Results suggest that ideal proxies to recruit are those who have been cohabitating with the patients for an extended length of time.
University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. mshardel@epi.umaryland.edu
Michelle
M
Shardell
Dawn E
DE
Alley
Ram R
RR
Miller
Gregory E
GE
Hicks
Jay
J
Magaziner
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019727:Proxy / Q000523:psychology*; D057566:Self Report; D012727:Sex Characteristics