Correlates and consequences of hip fracture in Chinese adults

background

Hip fractures represent a significant public health challenge, with substantial morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. Previous research, using 10-year follow-up of the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB), reported that the age- and sex-specific incidence rates of hip fractures in Chinese adults were comparable with those in Western populations. Five potentially modifiable factors accounted for half of all hip fractures in men and one quarter in women. While several studies investigated health outcomes occurring in patients after hip fracture, there is a need for a prospective assessment of cause-specific morbidity and mortality to better understand the factors influencing prognosis following the first hospital admission for hip fracture.

This proposed PhD research aims to leverage the unique resource of CKB:

1. to investigate the short and long-term outcomes, including venous thromboembolism, cardiovascular disease, subsequent fractures, any other healthcare utilisation and mortality in Chinese adults who have experienced their first hip fracture;
2. to identify demographic, socioeconomic and health services aspects (hospital tiers and health insurance coverage) that may affect risk of complications or reduced quality of life.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE, RESEARCH METHODS AND TRAINING

The student will work within a multi-disciplinary team. There will be in-house training in systematic literature review, statistical programming, data analysis and scientific writing, and attendance at relevant courses if required. By the end of the DPhil, the student will be competent to plan, undertake and interpret analyses of large datasets, and to report research findings, including publications in peer-reviewed journals as the lead author and presentation at conferences.

FIELD WORK, SECONDMENTS, INDUSTRY PLACEMENTS AND TRAINING

Training in advanced statistics, epidemiological methods, programming, and scientific writing will be provided. There may be opportunities to collaborate with industry partners and laboratory research groups. Attendance at seminars, workshops and courses provided by the Department and University will be encouraged. There will be opportunity to present research work at relevant international/national conferences. 

prospective student

Candidates should have a good first degree (2.1) and an MSc in epidemiology, statistics, biomedical science, or a related discipline, with a strong interest in population health.