Previous studies have shown that bone fractures are a major global health problem. Some studies have also focused on country of birth and fracture risk, demonstrating that Europe and the USA have higher fracture rates than Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
– In my study, we aimed to assess the risk of subsequent fractures in patients with an index forearm fracture based on their country of birth, Sepideh Semsarian explains. She is a master student in International Community health and did her master research on a cohort study on forearm fractures.
They used data from registries in Norway. A total of 143,476 patients with an index forearm fracture living in Norway were included in the study and followed for any type of subsequent fracture.
Individuals were categorized into six different groups based on assumed geographic similarities. Incidence of recurrent fractures in different groups were calculated and compared. In addition, the patients were divided into three groups based on age to evaluate the risk and incidence rates in different age groups.
Fractures among the population is increasing
– In many countries, including my country of birth, the incidence of fractures has been increasing, having an irreversible impact on the population’s well-being and mortality rates, says Semsarian.
– Although a wide array of studies has been conducted in this area, most have focused on hip fractures rather than forearm fractures. This has motivated me to research forearm fractures and related risk factors, with the goal of helping reduce the risk of recurrent fractures in high-risk individuals.
How did you collect your data?
– Data on forearm fractures treated in Norwegian hospitals from 2008 to 2019 were collected from the Norwegian Patient Register, and information about country of birth was obtained from Statistics Norway through the Norwegian Capture the Fracture Initiative (NoFRACT) study. After receiving the necessary approvals, I accessed the data via my account at the Services for sensitive data (TSD) platform.
Did you collaborated with others?
– My supervisors had another master's student who used the same dataset as I did. As a result, we collaborated to better understand and analyze the data. We also practiced using STATA together and helped each other with understanding the analysis methods.
In addition, a large group of people working on the NoFRACT study assisted me in interpreting the analytical results to make them applicable in clinical practice.
Challenges and experiences with a large dataset
- I found the experience interesting, although it was initially challenging to understand the data due to the numerous criteria involved. However, over time, as I became more familiar with the dataset, I gained a deeper understanding and felt increasingly confident in working with it. This process not only improved my data analysis skills, but also enhanced my ability to approach complex problems systematically.
- I had to run various analyses to obtain my statistical results. Some of these were quite challenging and new to me, so I took extra STATA courses to learn more and effectively manage the analyses, Semsarian says.
The importance of doing a cohort study
– I recommend cohort studies for several reasons. To the best of my knowledge, cohort studies allow researchers to observe specific exposures, example given lifestyle factors, environmental risks, and how these factors influence outcomes over time. Cohort studies track the same group of individuals over an extended period. The large datasets provided by cohort studies facilitate the analysis of trends and changes over time, which is essential for understanding causal relationships, long-term effects, and changes that would be missed in shorter-term studies, Semsarian says .
Another advantage is that findings from cohort studies can often be generalized to the wider population, especially when the cohort is large and diverse. This is particularly beneficial in public health research, where the goal is often to develop recommendations or interventions that will benefit large groups of people. Cohort studies are also valuable in policy-making, as they provide the evidence needed to support long-term health initiatives or regulatory changes.
Semsarian thinks that conducting research or being part of a project can seem challenging and a bit scary at first.
– However, as we study, work, and strive to overcome our fears, everything becomes more understandable, she concludes.