Multidimensional characteristics of musculoskeletal pain and risk of hip fractures among elderly adults: the first longitudinal evidence from CHARLS.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Hip fractures are a major public health concern among middle-aged and older adults. It is important to understand the associated risk factors to inform health policies and develop better prevention strategies. Musculoskeletal pain is a possible implicating factor, being associated with physical inactivity and risk of falls. However, the association between musculoskeletal pain and hip fractures has not been clearly investigated. METHODS: A nationally representative sample of the Chinese population was obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The study collected patient information on their demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, other health-related behavior, and history of musculoskeletal pain and hip fractures. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to investigate the factors influencing the risk of hip fracture, including factors related to the individual and to musculoskeletal pain. P for trend test was performed to assess the trend of each continuous variable. The robustness and bias were assessed using the bootstrap method. Restricted cubic spline regression was utilized to identify linear or non-linear relationships. RESULTS: Among the 18,813 respondents, a total of 215 individuals reported that they have experienced a hip fracture. An increased risk of hip fracture was associated with the presence of waist pain and leg pain (P < 0.05), as well as with an increased number of musculoskeletal pain sites (P < 0.05). For individuals aged 65 and above, a significant association was found between age and the risk of hip fracture (P < 0.05). Furthermore, respondents with lower education level had a higher risk of hip fracture compared to those with higher education levels (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In the Chinese population, the risk of hip fracture was found to be associated with both the location and extent of musculoskeletal pain, as well as with other factors such as age and demographic characteristics. The findings of this study may be useful for informing policy development and treatment strategies, and provide evidence for comparison with data from other demographic populations.