Temporal trend of pediatric fracture epidemiology in Thailand: a nationwide study 2018-2024.
retrospective_cohort · Level III
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 42012635.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1007/s00198-026-08033-2.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
Pediatric fracture epidemiology in Asian countries is limited. Using a nationwide claims database (2018-2024), we demonstrated lower fracture incidence in Thai vs. Western children. Incidence was higher in males and adolescents. Incidence fell during COVID-19 then rebounded, resulting in non-significant overall change. Forearm fractures and traffic injuries were prominent. Data on pediatric fracture epidemiology in Thailand remain limited. We aimed to examine 7-year trends in fracture incidence among Thai children and adolescents. Fractures recorded in the National Health Security Office (NHSO) claims database from 2018 to 2024 were identified using ICD-10 codes. Fracture incidence in individuals aged < 20 years was calculated per 10,000 person-years among NHSO-insured population. Temporal trends were summarized using annual percent change (APC). We identified 787,866 fractures among 569,819 individuals. The median annual age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) was 88.1 per 10,000 person-years (range, 76.5-90.6), with a median (Q1-Q3) male-to-female incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 2.6 (2.5-2.6). Forearm fractures were the most common (31%). Incidence increased gradually with age in females but rose sharply in males, with the greatest sex difference during adolescence (IRR, 3.35 [95% CI: 3.32-3.38]). Transportation injuries (37%) and falls (35%) were the leading causes of fractures. ASIR declined during 2018-2022 (APC -4.2%/year, 95% CI: -6.5% to -2.0%) and increased during 2022-2024 (APC 9.6%/year, 95% CI: 4.5%-14.9%), resulting in an overall stable trend (average APC 0.15%/year, 95% CI: -1.27%-1.59%). Fracture incidence among the Thai pediatric population was lower than that reported from Western countries and remained relatively constant during 2018-2024. Incidence was highest in male adolescents, with traffic accident being the major contributor. Strengthening targeted prevention, particularly traffic-safety interventions, should be a national priority to reduce pediatric fracture burden in Thailand.