Trends in hip fracture rates in Canada: An age‐period‐cohort analysis

Age‐standardized rates of hip fracture in Canada declined during the period 1985 to 2005. We investigated whether this incidence pattern is explained by period effects, cohort effects, or both. All hospitalizations during the study period with primary diagnosis of hip fracture were identified. Age‐ and sex‐specific hip fracture rates were calculated for nineteen 5‐year age groups and four 5‐year calendar periods, resulting in 20 birth cohorts. The effect of age, calendar period, and birth cohort on hip fracture rates was assessed using age‐period‐cohort models as proposed by Clayton and Schiffers. From 1985 to 2005, a total of 570,872 hospitalizations for hip fracture were identified. Age‐standardized rates for hip fracture have progressively declined for females and males. The annual linear decrease in rates per 5‐year period were 12% for females and 7% for males (both p