ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Aging and Public Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1603321
Global, Regional, and National Trends in Decubitus Ulcer Burden from 1990 to 2021 and Forecasts to 2040
Provisionally accepted
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
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Background: Decubitus ulcers, or pressure injuries, are a growing global health issue, particularly among aging populations. However, comprehensive studies on their burden and trends remain limited.Methods: Using the GBD 2021 database, we analyzed global, regional, and national burdens of decubitus ulcers from 1990 to 2021, including prevalence, incidence, DALYs, and death. Key metrics were assessed through age-standardized rates and absolute counts. Statistical methods such as decomposition analysis and Bayesian age-period-cohort modeling were employed to explore trends and disparities. Future projections were made up to 2040.Results: While age-standardized prevalence and incidence rates remained stable, DALY and death rates declined globally. Nevertheless, absolute cases, DALYs, and deaths increased significantly, driven by population aging and growth. High-SDI regions showed higher prevalence but lower DALY and death burdens, while low-SDI regions faced severe challenges due to limited resources.Health inequalities persisted, with widening absolute disparities despite narrowing relative inequalities. By 2040, total burden is projected to rise, especially among individuals over 40.The increasing global burden of decubitus ulcers highlights the need for tailored prevention strategies and resource allocation. These findings offer critical evidence for reducing health disparities and improving global management of this condition.
Keywords: Decubitus ulcers, Global burden of disease, Population aging, health inequalities, Prevention strategies
Received: 31 Mar 2025; Accepted: 31 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Li, Yang, Chen, Dong, Shu, Liu and Zeng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Xueneng Yang, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
Ming Zeng, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
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