A Comparative Epidemiologic Study Of Fractures Among People In Rural And Urban Areas

Objective: This study aimed to comparatively analyse the epidemiologic characteristics of fractures among inpatients from rural and urban areas.Methods: This study retrospectively analysed patients with traumatic fractures of the limbs,pelvis and spine treated in our hospital from January 2017 to December 2017.Patients from rural and urban areas were classified into Group A and Group B,respectively,and information on age,sex,fracture distribution,injury mechanism,injuried season,date and time point distribution,as well as length of hospital stay and chronic medical disease was collected.Results: A total of 10,046 patients(Group A: 4,440;3,062 males and 1,378 females [male-to-female ratio: 2.40:1] and Group B: 5,606;3,374 males and 2,232 females [male-to-female ratio: 1.51:1])with traumatic fractures were included.The current number of patients with addresses in the north China plain was 9944,and the current number of patients with addresses in non-north China plain was 102.The male-to-female ratio was statistically significantly different between both groups(?2=82.936,P<0.001).In Groups A and B,the most affected age groups were aged 40-49 and aged 50-59 years,respectively,showing statistically significant differences(P<0.05).By injury mechanism,the most common one for traumatic fractures was low-energy injuries(ie,slips,trips and falls)in Groups A and B,followed by traffic accidents.By season,both groups had the most fractures in autumn.By date,the difference in the proportion of patients with fractures in each day from Monday to Sunday was not statistically significant between the two groups.In addition,hand and wrist fractures are the most common fractures in Group A(733 patients,16.89%),whereas hip fractures are the most common ones in group B(920 patients,16.41%),showing a statistically significant difference in the composition of fractured body sites between the two groups(P<0.05).Both groups had the highest percentage of injuries at 12:00-17:59 hours.and the lowest percentage at 0:00–7:59 hours.The length of hospital stay in Group A were longer than that in Group B.Conclusion: The injury mechanism,injury season,date,and time point distribution of patients with traumatic fractures in rural and urban areas are similar,with injury more commonly occurring in the afternoon,and more patients having fractures in autumn.Patients with high risk of fractures in rural areas were younger than those in urban areas.Fractures more frequently occur in the wrist and hips in rural and urban areas,respectively.Prevention of low-energy-induced osteoporotic fractures has become very critical for both rural and urban populations.Reducing the risk of traffic accident remains critical to prevent multiple injuries.