Li Dong, Liang Zhide, Miao Chuyuan, Li Lan, Li Chenmu
School of Physical Education and Health, Zhaoqing University, Zhaoqing, China.
School of Health Sciences and Sports, Macau Polytechnic University, Macau, China.
Front Psychiatry. 2025 Apr 25;16:1570276. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1570276. eCollection 2025.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for systematic monitoring to optimize child development outcomes. As a developmental disorder affecting children and adults, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) not only impacts individual social functioning but also places a burden on families and society. A detailed analysis of the latest global burden data on ASD can assist stakeholders in formulating support policies and interventions, thereby helping to meet the health needs of ASD.
We used data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 (GBD 2021), compiled by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). Data were obtained through the Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx) and covered 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019. Variables included ASD-related prevalence, mortality, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), age-standardized rates, and the sociodemographic index (SDI).
Exposure to autism spectrum disorders contributed to 61823540 prevalence and 11544038 DALYs globally in 2021. Males and younger adults were high-risk populations. Higher socio-demographic index (SDI) regions were high-risk areas. The disease burden varied considerably across the GBD regions and the countries. From 1990 to 2021, the number of cases increased. The predicted results showed that the disease burden for both genders would still increase from 2022 to 2046. Countries or regions with a higher SDI have greater burden improvement potential.
The global burden of ASD has shown a continuous upward trend, with some differences observed across gender, age groups, and SDI regions. In terms of gender, the burden of ASD among females may be underestimated. Regarding age groups, the aging process has highlighted the urgent need to address ASD in the elderly population. High-SDI regions should place greater emphasis on improving diagnostic methods and implementing precise interventions, while middle- and low-SDI regions should focus on raising public awareness and enhancing screening capabilities.
可持续发展目标呼吁进行系统监测，以优化儿童发育成果。自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）作为一种影响儿童和成人的发育障碍，不仅影响个体的社会功能，还给家庭和社会带来负担。对最新的全球自闭症谱系障碍负担数据进行详细分析，有助于利益相关者制定支持政策和干预措施，从而满足自闭症谱系障碍患者的健康需求。
我们使用了由健康指标与评估研究所（IHME）汇编的《2021年全球疾病负担研究》（GBD 2021）中的数据。数据通过全球卫生数据交换平台（GHDx）获取，涵盖了1990年至2019年的204个国家和地区。变量包括与自闭症谱系障碍相关的患病率、死亡率、伤残调整生命年（DALYs）、年龄标准化率和社会人口指数（SDI）。
2021年，全球自闭症谱系障碍的暴露导致患病率达61823540例，伤残调整生命年为11544038例。男性和年轻成年人是高危人群。社会人口指数（SDI）较高的地区是高危地区。疾病负担在全球疾病负担（GBD）区域和各国之间差异很大。从1990年到2021年，病例数有所增加。预测结果显示，2022年至2046年，两性的疾病负担仍将增加。社会人口指数较高的国家或地区有更大的负担改善潜力。
自闭症谱系障碍的全球负担呈持续上升趋势，在性别、年龄组和社会人口指数区域之间存在一些差异。在性别方面，女性自闭症谱系障碍的负担可能被低估。在年龄组方面，老龄化进程凸显了应对老年人群自闭症谱系障碍的紧迫性。高社会人口指数地区应更加强调改进诊断方法和实施精准干预，而中低社会人口指数地区应专注于提高公众意识和增强筛查能力。
