Female hip fracture patients had poorer performance-based functioning than community-dwelling peers over 2-year follow-up period

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Compare performance-based functioning over 2 years among elderly women hip fracture patients vs. community-dwelling older women. METHODS AND SETTING: 268 hip fracture patients from eight hospitals in Baltimore, MD, in 1990-1991, and 486 respondents from the Women's Health and Aging Study I (WHAS I) were assessed prospectively at 6-month intervals for 2 years. Usual and rapid walking speeds, and chair rise time, were calculated and standardized to the baseline distribution of the WHAS subsample. RESULTS: At baseline, all respondents were aged 65+ years, White, cognitively intact, and could walk across a room independently. Hip fracture patients had significantly poorer functioning than WHAS respondents at each follow-up interview through 24 months postfracture. The difference was greatest at 6 months: mean walking speed for hip fracture patients was approximately one standard deviation lower than for WHAS respondents for usual pace (adjusted difference = -1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -1.22, -0.89) and rapid pace (adjusted difference = -0.95, 95% CI = -1.13, -0.79). These differences were most pronounced among respondents who were aged 80+ years or had comorbid conditions. CONCLUSION: Elderly women had poorer performance-based functioning over 2 years following hip fracture than would be expected by normal aging in same-aged women.