Minimal trauma hip fracture hospitalisations among older Indigenous and non‐Indigenous Australians: A retrospective population‐based cohort study

OBJECTIVES: To compare minimal trauma hip fractures (MTHF) between older Indigenous and non‐Indigenous Australians. METHODS: Epidemiological study of retrospective New South Wales hospitalisation data (2005–2016) for MTHF among Indigenous and non‐Indigenous Australians over 40 years of age. RESULTS: Estimated age‐standardised rates of MTHF were lower among Indigenous Australians than non‐Indigenous Australians (142.2 vs. 161.7 per 100,000) with a direct standardised rate ratio of 0.887 (95%CI 0.78–0.99, p = 0.031). However, for both male and female Indigenous Australians, MTHF occur at a younger age than in non‐Indigenous Australians (age 40–74: 52% vs. 19%, p < 0.001). Proportions of MTHF are higher among women and were almost double among rural Indigenous Australians compared with rural non‐Indigenous Australians (59% vs. 31%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: New South Wales Hospitalisation data showed that estimated age‐standardised rates of MTHF appear lower among Indigenous Australians than in non‐Indigenous Australians but also occur at a younger age for Indigenous people. MTHF are more common among rural Indigenous Australians and women.