Seasonal variations in incidence of femoral fractures in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Femoral fractures are a major cause of morbidity and mortality, mainly among older people. Objective: To examine the effect of seasonality on hospitalizations due to femur fracture among people residing in the Rio Grande do Sul state, southern Brazil, from 2008 to 2019. Methods: Ecological study based on secondary data from the SUS Hospital Information System (SIH/SUS). A total of 74,374 reports of hospital admissions was considered. The generalized additive model (GAM) approach was employed to assess the seasonality of the time series, with stratification by sex and age groups and considering the monthly average number of events of femoral fractures per day as a dependent variable. Results: A considerably higher incidence of femoral fractures in women aged 70 years or more was described. Among people aged less than 50 years, there is not an apparent seasonal effect. Men aged 70 years or older and women aged 50 years or older have a higher frequency of hospitalizations due to femur fractures in the colder months. Conclusion: Among older people, more femoral fractures occurred during the winter compared to summer. This supports findings from other studies, although reasons for this seasonal variation are uncertain. The knowledge of these seasonal variations can help to plan the health care in the public health system.