Weather and hip fractures: a nine-year study across England and Wales
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background:
Hip fractures are a leading orthopaedic injury worldwide, often causing disability,
cognitive decline, and loss of independence. Identifying early predictors is therefore a
major healthcare priority yet the impact of weather on hip fracture incidence remains
poorly understood. This study is the first to examine hip fracture admissions in England
and Wales in relation to weather. We hypothesised that (a) lower ambient
temperatures are associated with increased hip fracture admissions, and (b) the
strength of this association differs by age and baseline mobility status.
Materials and Methods:
Weather data from the United Kingdom Meteorological Office and patient data from the
National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) were analysed to investigate associations
between weather variables and hip fracture in the period from 2015 to 2023.
Results:
A total of 567,623 patients with hip fractures were admitted during the nine year period.
Hip fracture admissions dropped by about 10% on weekends. Mobile individuals aged
60–79 years experienced more hip fractures during cold weather with minimal
seasonal variation, while less mobile individuals aged 80–99 years had higher rates of
fractures in winter.
Conclusions:
The findings highlight trends that inform future strategies to mitigate hip fracture risks
and adapt healthcare planning.
Hip fractures are a leading orthopaedic injury worldwide, often causing disability,
cognitive decline, and loss of independence. Identifying early predictors is therefore a
major healthcare priority yet the impact of weather on hip fracture incidence remains
poorly understood. This study is the first to examine hip fracture admissions in England
and Wales in relation to weather. We hypothesised that (a) lower ambient
temperatures are associated with increased hip fracture admissions, and (b) the
strength of this association differs by age and baseline mobility status.
Materials and Methods:
Weather data from the United Kingdom Meteorological Office and patient data from the
National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) were analysed to investigate associations
between weather variables and hip fracture in the period from 2015 to 2023.
Results:
A total of 567,623 patients with hip fractures were admitted during the nine year period.
Hip fracture admissions dropped by about 10% on weekends. Mobile individuals aged
60–79 years experienced more hip fractures during cold weather with minimal
seasonal variation, while less mobile individuals aged 80–99 years had higher rates of
fractures in winter.
Conclusions:
The findings highlight trends that inform future strategies to mitigate hip fracture risks
and adapt healthcare planning.
Date Issued
2025-12-01
Date Acceptance
2025-10-28
Citation
Injury, 2025, 56 (12)
ISSN
0020-1383
Publisher
Elsevier
Journal / Book Title
Injury
Volume
56
Issue
12
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
112856
Date Publish Online
2025-10-31