Demographic transition and hospital admissions in Spanish centenarians, 2004-2020: Geographical variations and...

This study aims to describe the distribution and temporal trends of the centenarian population and their hospital admissions in Spain over the past two decades, focusing on regional and sex-based differences.

A retrospective study was conducted using data from the Spanish National Health System's Hospital Discharge Records-Minimum Basic Data Set. The analysis included all hospitalized patients ≥100 years between January 2004 and December 2020. The crude annual centenarian population and admission rates were calculated. Joinpoint regression analysis and cross-correlation analysis were used to identify trends and associations.

From 2004 to 2020, the centenarian population in Spain increased by 89.0 %, with a larger increase observed in women (86.6 %) than men (32.9 %). Significant geographic variability was found, with rates from 1.1 to 5.2 × 10,000 inhabitants per year across different regions. Joinpoint analysis identified three trends: a decline from 2004 to 2008, an increase from 2008 to 2015, and a slower increase from 2015 to 2020. Hospital admissions of centenarians increased by 121.5 %, with a larger increase in women than men (212.1% vs 90.7 %); women represented 75.4 % of admissions. The proportion of centenarian admissions to total hospitalizations showed an upward trend until 2015 and then stabilized; it also varied among regions.

There was a significant increase in the centenarian population and hospital admissions of centenarians in Spain. There are regional disparities in their distribution, with women representing a larger proportion of centenarians and hospital admissions. Understanding these trends and differences is crucial for implementing interventions that ensure adequate healthcare for centenarians.