title: A decreasing trend in fall-related hip fracture incidence in Victoria, Australia.
abstract: In Victoria, Australia, the age-standardised incidence of fall-related hip fracture hospitalisations decreased significantly by 25% over the period 1998/1999-2008/2009. Significant decreases in fall-related hip fractures were observed in males and females, across all 5-year age groups, in Australian-born and overseas-born Victorians, in all socio-economic quintiles and in community-dwelling older people.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The study aim was to investigate trends in the incidence of fall-related and hip fracture hospitalisations among Victorians aged 65 years and older overall and by age, gender, country of birth, socio-economic status (SES) and location of the event (home, residential care institution, etc.) over the 11-year period 1998/1999 to 2008/2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  Annual counts and age-standardised rates for fall-related hospitalisations among people aged 65 years and older were estimated using Victorian hospital admissions data. The statistical significance of changes in trends over time were analysed using a log-linear regression model of the rate data assuming a Poisson distribution of cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although the age-standardised incidence of fall-related hospitalisations increased significantly by 13% (95% confidence interval [CI], 9% to 18%) in Victoria, the age-standardised incidence of fall-related hip fracture hospitalisations decreased from 600/100,000 in 1998/1999 to 467/100,000 in 2008/2009 - an estimated overall reduction of 25% (95% CI, -29% to -22%). By contrast, the age-standardised incidence of fall-related hospitalisations for fractures at other body sites either increased significantly or showed no significant change. Significant decreases in fall-related hip fractures were observed in both males and females, across all 5-year age groups, in both Australian-born and overseas-born Victorians, in all socio-economic quintiles and in community-dwelling older people but not in people living in residential care facilities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the downward trend in the age-standardised incidence of fall-related hip fractures in Victoria, the burden of fall-related and hip fracture hospitalisations on health care systems and the community is set to escalate due to the ageing of the Victorian population.
authors.affiliation: Victorian Injury Surveillance Unit, Monash Injury Research Institute, Clayton, Victoria, Australia. erin.cassell@monash.edu
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cassell
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clapperton
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012923:Social Class; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology