Is global quality of life reduced before fracture in patients with low-energy wrist or hip fracture? A comparison with matched controls
2008

Quality of Life Before Fracture in Patients with Low-Energy Wrist or Hip Fracture

Sample size: 324 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Rohde Gudrun, Haugeberg Glenn, Mengshoel Anne Marit, Moum Torbjorn, Wahl Astrid K

Primary Institution: Sorlandet Hospital, Norway

Hypothesis

Is global quality of life reduced before fracture in patients with low-energy wrist or hip fracture compared with matched controls?

Conclusion

Hip fracture patients had lower global quality of life before the fracture compared to controls, even after adjusting for known factors.

Supporting Evidence

  • Osteoporosis was found in 59% of hip fracture patients and 33% of wrist fracture patients.
  • Adjusted GQOL scores showed significant differences between hip fracture patients and controls.
  • Health-focused QOL explained a substantial variance in GQOL scores.

Takeaway

Older people who break their hips are often less happy with their lives before the break compared to people who don't break their hips.

Methodology

Comparative cross-sectional study design with patients aged 50 and older who had low-energy wrist or hip fractures and matched controls.

Potential Biases

Potential selective reporting bias and response shift due to the timing of the quality of life assessment.

Limitations

Patients evaluated their quality of life after the fracture, which may introduce bias in their responses.

Participant Demographics

Patients aged 50 and older, with a mix of wrist and hip fractures; majority were female.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.001

Statistical Significance

p<0.001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1477-7525-6-90

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