Recent diet, teenage physical activity and teenage calcium consumption were examined as risk factors for hip fracture in a case-control study. Cases were 161 white women admitted to one of 30 participating hospitals with a first hip fracture. Controls included 168 white women from general and orthopedic surgical services frequency-matched to cases by age group and hospital. Information on exposure to possible risk factors was obtained by in-person interview. No association was found between recent intake of calcium, phosphorus, protein, vitamin C or caffeine and hip fracture. Also, teenage calcium intake and milk drinking were not related to hip fracture risk. Recreational activities in adolescence and early adulthood appeared to afford protection against hip fracture. The highest quartile of recreational activity (greater than or equal to 4 times/week) was associated with an odds ratio of 0.24 (95% confidence interval 0.08-0.75) relative to the lowest quartile (less than 1 time/week).