Exposure to Air Pollution and Risk of Hip Fracture: A Population-Based Cohort Study With a 6-Year Follow-Up in South Korea.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to investigate whether exposure to air pollutants was associated with the risk of hip fracture.

METHODS

We extracted data on a 2010 cohort of the adult population (more than or equal to 30 years old) from a South Korean database.

RESULTS

A total of 178,147 individuals were included in the analysis, and hip fracture had occurred in 919 individuals (0.5%). In a multivariable logistic regression model, a 1 mcg/m increase in concentrations of particulate matter measuring of less than or equal to 10 μm was associated with 2% increase in hip fracture risk (odds ratio [OR]: 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01 to 1.03; P = 0.039); there were no significant associations between hip fracture risk and exposure to SO2 (P = 0.076), ozone (P = 0.220), carbon monoxide (P = 0.698), or sulfur dioxide (P = 0.114).

CONCLUSIONS

Particular matter air concentration may be a modifiable risk factor for hip fracture.