Epidemiological trends and disparities in the global burden of bacterial skin diseases among children and adolescents from 1990 to 2021: an analysis based on GBD 2021.

Background: Bacterial skin diseases (BSDs) represent a substantial public health concern for children and adolescents worldwide. The emergence of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has further complicated treatment, efforts, highlighting the urgent need for targeted policies aimed at prevention and management.

Methods: This study utilized data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 database, to analyze the global burden of BSDs among individuals aged 0-19 years from 1990 to 2021. Incidence, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were the primary indicators assessed. stratified analysis conducted by gender, age, region, and socio-demographic index (SDI). Temporal trends were evaluated using the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC). Date analysis and visualization were performed using the R programming language.

Results: In 2021, the global incidence of BSDs among children and adolescents reached 338 million cases, an increase of 49.32% compared to 1990 (EAPC = 0.86); Prevalence reached 14.23 million cases, an increase of 48.27% (EAPC = 0.85). During the same period, the DALYs rate decreased by 39.01% (EAPC = -1.9). Regionally, the burden was highest in sub-Saharan Africa, while the highest increase in incidence was observed in high-income North America. SDI-based stratification showed that DALYs were highest among infants in low SDI regions, while high SDI regions experienced a marked increase in incidence among adolescents aged 15-19 years. Gender analysis found that the incidence was higher among girls under five years of age, while the overall burden was higher among boys aged 15-19 years compared to girls. Neonates (0-6 days) were identified as the highest-risk group.

Conclusion: Although a moderate decline in DALYs rate was observed, the incidence and prevalence of BSDs continued to rise globally, with geographic, age-related, and genders disparities. These findings underscore the necessity of developing stratified and targeted intervention strategies to mitigate the increasing burden of BSDs among children and adolescents.