Patient Self-Assessment of Walking Ability and Fracture Risk in Older Australian Adults
An erratum to this article was published (JAMA Netw Open, 5 Feb 2024 ↗)
Authors' conclusion
In this cohort study of 238 969 participants, self-reported walking limitations were associated with increased risk of fracture.
Study context
- Population
- Participants of the population-based Sax Institute 45 and Up Study (Australia), recruited 2005–2008 and followed for 5 years; 126,015 (53%) women, mean (SD) age 63 (11) years, and 112,954 (47%) men, mean (SD) age 61 (11) yearsof 266,912 enrolled
- Participants
- 238,969 participants
- Exposure
- A little or a lot of self-reported walking limitation at 1000 m vs no limitation
- Outcome
- Incident fracture
- Follow-up
- 5 years
Methodological detailspopulation-based, adjusted for age, falls, prior fractures and weight, Data analysis July 2020 to September 2023
- Population-based
- Adjusted for age, falls, prior fractures and weight
- Data analysis July 2020 to September 2023
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Incident fracture, by sex · mean (SD) follow-up 4.1 (0.8) years
Each group vs no limitationHazard ratio (95% CI)
Little limitationwomen
1.32(1.23–1.41)
Little limitationmen
1.46(1.34–1.60)
Lot of limitationwomen
1.60(1.49–1.71)
Lot of limitationmen
2.03(1.86–2.22)
- Women with an incident fracture
- 7190
- Men with an incident fracture
- 4267
- Participants reporting a degree of walking limitation at baseline
- ≈20%
- Women reporting a degree of walking limitation
- 39 324 [24%]
- Men reporting a degree of walking limitation
- 23 191 [21%]
- Fractures attributable to walking limitation
- ≈60%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Site-specific fractures (hip, vertebral, NHNV)
- Association significant for hip, vertebral and NHNV fracture; increase in risk ranged from 21% to greater than 219%
Original publication
Patient Self-Assessment of Walking Ability and Fracture Risk in Older Australian Adults. JAMA Netw Open. Published 2 January 2024. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →