Socioeconomically-deprived patients suffer hip fractures at a younger age and require more hospital admissions, but early mortality risk is unchanged: The IMPACT Deprivation Study.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Socioeconomic deprivation is associated with multi-morbidity and frailty, but influence on hip fracture outcomes is poorly understood. The primary aim was to investigate the association between deprivation and mortality, and secondary aims were to assess the effects on (i) age at presentation; (ii) inpatient outcomes, and (iii) post-discharge outcomes. METHOD: This cohort study included all patients aged >50 years admitted with a hip fracture to a high-volume centre between 01 March 2020 and 20 November 2021. Data were collected contemporaneously by specialist auditors and underwent validation using live health records after 180 days follow-up. Variables were demographics including Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, injury and management factors, and outcome measures including length of stay, discharge destination, readmission, and mortality status at 180 days. RESULTS: There were 1822 patients of which 1306/1822 (72%) were female. Deprivation was independently associated with younger age at hip fracture, demonstrating a linear correlation with each deprivation level. The overall mean age was 80.7 years (range 50-102), with the mean age in the most deprived group being 77.2 years (95% CI; 75.7-78.7) versus 82.8 years (95% CI; 82.0-83.5) in the least deprived. Multivariate logistic regression showed no association between deprivation and 30- or 180-day mortality risk. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated no difference between the most deprived versus least deprived (log-rank, p = 0.854). Deprivation had no influence on length of stay, discharge destination, or COVID-19 status, but deprived patients had an increased risk of readmission (OR 1.63, 95% CI [1.18-2.24]; p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Deprivation showed no linear correlation with early mortality risk (within 180 days of injury), but it was associated with an earlier age at presentation (the most deprived sustained a hip fracture 5.6 years earlier than the least deprived) which may impact overall life expectancy. More deprived patients were more likely to require further acute hospital admissions.