Trends in the burden of female infertility among adults aged 20–49 years during 1990–2019: an analysis of data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Y. Claire Wang, Wei Wang, Hongfeng Li, Qiao Du
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this analysis was to investigate the worldwide distribution and trends in the burden of female infertility (FI). DESIGN AND SETTING: Analysis of cross-sectional data from 1990 to 2019 from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019. PARTICIPANTS: Adults aged 20-49 years in various geographical regions, Sociodemographic Index (SDI) levels and populations across 204 countries worldwide. OUTCOME MEASURES: Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), age-standardised DALY rates and estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) for FI over the research period. RESULTS: The global burden of FI, as measured by DALYs and age-standardised DALY rates among adults aged 20-49 years, exhibited an upward trend from 1990 to 2019. Regions such as Tropical Latin America (EAPC: 3.76, 95% CI 2.76 to 4.77), South Asia (EAPC: 1.74, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.48) and Andean Latin America (EAPC: 8.54, 95% CI 6.79 to 10.32) had higher DALYs. The age-standardised DALY rates notably increased in low-middle-SDI and low-SDI countries, with EAPCs of 1.42 (95% CI 0.76 to 2.10) and 1.25 (95% CI 0.30 to 2.21), respectively. Despite lower overall DALYs in high-SDI countries, they experienced the highest EAPC in DALYs (1.57, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.83) during the period 1990-2019. China and India consistently had the highest DALYs for FI globally in both 1990 and 2019, while Africa and Latin America bore a significantly greater burden of the disease compared with other regions. CONCLUSION: The GBD Study data on FI among adults aged 20-49 years revealed a rising global trend in FI from 1990 to 2019, with notable variations across different regions.