Global and Chinese growth failure disease burden analysis and projections for adolescents and children, 1990–2021

Bibliographic Data

ID22068622
AuthorsZhifei Wu (University of Nottingham Ningbo China), Rong Xu (0000-0001-5651-4738, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine), Runbing Xu, Dongkai Qiu (University of Nottingham Ningbo China), Haiyan Wang (0000-0003-2534-6756, University of Nottingham Ningbo China), Jiajing Zheng (0009-0001-8616-0480, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume13
Pages1639801-1639801
Publication date2025-10-09
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2025.1639801
PMID41142750
OpenAlexW4414971253
LanguageEN
References cited29

Objective: This study aimed to comprehensively analyze the global and Chinese burden of growth failure (GF) in children and adolescents from 1990 to 2021, focusing on mortality, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and years of life lost (YLLs). The study also explored disparities across gender, age, socio-demographic index (SDI) regions, and geographic locations to inform targeted interventions. Design: A retrospective analysis was conducted using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 database. Trends in deaths, DALYs, YLDs, YLLs, and their age-standardized rates (ASRs) were evaluated. Decomposition, health inequality, and prediction analyses were performed to assess contributing factors and future trends. Participants: Children and adolescents aged 0-19 years, with emphasis on those under 5 years, were included in the analysis. Results: From 1990 to 2021, global deaths, DALYs, YLDs, and YLLs for GF declined by 78.17, 77.86, 49.71, and 78.20%, respectively. China exhibited even more pronounced declines (98.16, 98.15, 97.10, and 98.15%). The burden was concentrated in children under 5, with males disproportionately affected. Low-SDI regions, particularly Western Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, accounted for over 60% of the global burden, with ASRs up to 1,000 times higher than in high-SDI regions. Conclusion: Despite substantial progress, GF remains a critical public health challenge, with pronounced disparities persisting in low-SDI regions. Urgently needed are targeted interventions-particularly for children under 5 in these settings-to address the inequitable burden. These conclusions should be interpreted in light of key limitations: the analysis relies on modeled GBD 2021 estimates that may be biased due to data sparsity and cause-redistribution assumptions in low-SDI contexts; furthermore, incidence/prevalence and intervention coverage were not assessed

Burden of disease · Disease · Disease burden · Global health · Public health · Cerebral Palsy and Movement Disorders · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access