Reducing risk of hip fracture in women using data linkage.

Dietary risk factors for hip fracture using the UK Women’s Cohort Study (UKWCS) is the project focus. The UKWCS has followed ~35,000 women for >20 years and is one of the largest and longest follow up studies of women with detailed dietary information. Active ageing depends on a variety of determinants including behavioural, physical, economic and social. Between the ages of 60 and 90 years, the incidence of osteoarthritis rises 20-fold in women as compared to 10-fold in men. Diet has been linked to hip fracture risk. This project will identify food, nutrient and socio-economic factors associated with incidence of hip fracture in the UKWCS. A recent, exciting development has allowed us to link the UKWCS to Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data through the Consumer Data Research Centre in Leeds. HES use, to date, in cohort studies has been relatively limited; providing this project with an important opportunity to explore food choice behaviour in relation to incident hip fractures, for the first time, in a large UK cohort. The project will involve undertaking an umbrella review of risk factors for hip fracture; using the HES data to identify risk factors for hip fracture; explore variations in risk; develop a hip fracture risk prediction model. The resulting model will have the potential for use in policy development and planning decisions to reduce risk of hip fracture in older women in the community.