Global Burden of Eye Injuries in Children and Adolescents, 1990 to 2021: A Systematic Analysis From the Global Burden of Disease Study.

Abstract

Eye injuries are a leading cause of monocular vision impairment and disability in children and adolescents. Unlike adults, eye injuries in children exhibit significant age specificity, with worse visual outcomes due to immature vision, the risk of long-term damage, and amblyopia. However, research on the global distribution and trends of eye injury burdens in this population is limited. Retrospective population-based trend study. This study analyzes the burden of eye injuries among children and adolescents aged 0 to 19 years globally, regionally, and nationally, using data from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease study. We evaluated the epidemiological characteristics of eye injuries by calculating incidence, years lived with disability (YLD), age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR), and age-standardized YLD rates (ASYR). Temporal trends in ASIR and ASYR from 1990 to 2021 were assessed using joinpoint regression analysis, expressed as average annual percentage changes. The analysis was further stratified by sex, age, and sociodemographic index (SDI) to explore trends in different subgroups. In 2021, the global ASIR and ASYR for children and adolescents were 434.24 per 100,000 (95% confidence interval [CI], 305.17-603.22) and 3.19 per 100,000 (95% CI, 0.96-6.99), respectively, indicating a decline since 1990. Regions with high SDI showed the highest incidence of eye injuries. Australasia, Southern Latin America, and Western Europe had the highest ASIRs and ASYRs in both 1990 and 2021. From 1990 to 2021, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, the Central African Republic, and Chile experienced the most significant increases in pediatric eye injuries. Global data show that boys have an eye injury incidence rate approximately 1.8 times higher than that of girls. In 2021, the incidence of eye injuries among children and adolescents increased with age. The primary causes include foreign bodies, exposure to mechanical forces, and falls. Despite observed declines in incidence and YLD, the burden of eye injuries in children and adolescents remains substantial. These findings underscore the urgent need for the development and implementation of targeted preventive education initiatives and ocular protection protocols on a global scale.