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Child health

Global Burden of Eye Injuries in Children and Adolescents

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

New research from Sichuan University, published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology, has shed light on the global distribution and trends of eye injury burdens in children and adolescents. The study analyzed data from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease study to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of eye injuries among children and adolescents aged 0 to 19 years globally, regionally, and nationally. The findings revealed significant disparities in eye injury incidence rates, with regions having high socioeconomic development indices (SDI) showing the highest incidence rates.

Key Takeaways:

  • The global age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) for eye injuries in children and adolescents aged 0 to 19 years was 434.24 per 100,000 in 2021, indicating a decline since 1990.
  • Regions with high SDI showed the highest incidence of eye injuries, with Australasia, Southern Latin America, and Western Europe having the highest ASIRs and ASYRs in both 1990 and 2021.
  • Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, the Central African Republic, and Chile experienced the most significant increases in pediatric eye injuries from 1990 to 2021.
  • The incidence of eye injuries among children and adolescents increased with age, with foreign bodies, exposure to mechanical forces, and falls being the primary causes.
  • Boys had an eye injury incidence rate approximately 1.8 times higher than that of girls in 2021.
  • Despite observed declines in incidence and years lived with disability (YLD), the burden of eye injuries in children and adolescents remains substantial.

Statistics:

  • Global ASIR for eye injuries in children and adolescents aged 0 to 19 years was 434.24 per 100,000 in 2021 (95% CI, 305.17-603.22).
  • ASYR for eye injuries in children and adolescents aged 0 to 19 years was 3.19 per 100,000 in 2021 (95% CI, 0.96-6.99).
  • Regions with high SDI showed the highest ASIRs and ASYRs in both 1990 and 2021.
  • Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, the Central African Republic, and Chile experienced the most significant increases in pediatric eye injuries from 1990 to 2021.
  • Boys had an eye injury incidence rate approximately 1.8 times higher than that of girls in 2021.

Sources:

  • American Journal of Ophthalmology, "Global Burden of Eye Injuries in Children and Adolescents, 1990 to 2021: A Systematic Analysis From the Global Burden of Disease Study"
  • Global Burden of Disease study, 2021
  • Sichuan University, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
  • Elsevier Science Inc, Ste 800, 230 Park Ave, New York, NY 10169, USA.

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