Global, regional, and national neck pain burden in the general population, 1990-2019: An analysis of the global burden of disease study 2019

Abstract

Background: This study describes the global epidemiology and trends associated with neck pain. Global Burden of Disease data collected between 1990 and 2019 were used to determine the global burden of neck pain in the general populations of 204 countries.

Methods: Global, regional, and national burdens of neck pain determined by prevalence, incidence, and years lived with a disability (YLD) from 1990 to 2019 were comprehensively analyzed according to age, gender, and socio-demographic index using the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990 and 2019 data provided by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

Results: Globally, in 2019, the age-standardized rates for prevalence, incidence, and YLD of neck pain per 100,000 population was 2,696.5 (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 2,177.0 to 3,375.2), 579.1 (95% UI, 457.9 to 729.6), and 267.4 (95% UI, 175.5 to 383.5) per 100,000 population, respectively. Overall, there was no significant difference in prevalence, incidence, or YLD of neck pain between 1990 and 2019. The highest age-standardized YLD of neck pain per 100,000 population in 2019 was observed in high-income North America (479.1, 95% UI 323.0 to 677.6), Southeast Asia (416.1, 95% UI 273.7 to 596.5), and East Asia (356.4, 95% UI 233.2 to 513.2). High-income North America (17.0, 95% UI 9.0 to 25.4%) had the largest increases in YLD of neck pain per 100,000 population from 1990 to 2019. At the national level, the highest age-standardized YLD of neck pain was found in the Philippines (530.1, 95% UI 350.6 to 764.8) and the highest change age-standardized YLD between 1990 and 2019 was found in the United States (18.4, 95% UI 9.9 to 27.6%). Overall, the global burden of neck pain increased with age until the age of 70-74 years, and was higher in women than men. In general, positive associations between socio-demographic index and burden of neck pain were found.

Conclusions: Because neck pain is a major public health burden with a high prevalence, incidence, and YLD worldwide, it is important to update its epidemiological data and trends to cope with the future burden of neck pain.

Keywords: global burden; incidence; neck pain; prevalence; socio-demographic index; years lived with a disability.

Figure 1

Age-standardized point YLD of neck pain per 100,000 population in 2019 by country. Generated from data available at http://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool. DALY, disability-adjusted life years.

Figure 2

Age patterns by gender in 2019 for the total YLD number and age-standardized YLD rate of neck pain at the global level. Dashed lines (total YLD number) and transparent areas (age-standardized YLD) indicate 95% upper and lower uncertainty intervals, respectively. Generated from data available at http://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool. YLD, years lived with a disability.

Figure 3

Age-standardized prevalence rate of neck pain for 21 regions according to SDI in 2019. Thirty points were plotted for each region and observed age-standardized prevalence for that region is shown. Generated from data available at http://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool. SDI, socio-demographic index.

Figure 4

Age-standardized YLD rate of neck pain for 21 regions according to SDI in 2019. Thirty points were plotted for each region and observed age-standardized prevalence for each region is shown. Generated from data available at http://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool. YLD, years lived with a disability; SDI, socio-demographic index.

Figure 5

Age-standardized YLD rate of neck pain for 204 countries in 2019 according to SDI. Each point shows the observed age-standardized YLD rate for a specified country or territory in 2019. The black line represents expected values based on the sociodemographic index and disease rates in all locations. Generated from data available at http://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool. YLD, years lived with a disability; SDI, socio-demographic index.