Peer-reviewed article
Adolescent health across Asia Pacific, 2000-23: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023.
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Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 assessed adolescent health (aged 10-24 years) across 44 Asia Pacific countries and territories from 2000 to 2023. In 2023, the region accounted for 34.1% of global adolescent deaths and 40.6% of global disease burden among adolescents. Mental disorders and non-communicable diseases were the leading causes of burden and death, followed by injuries and transport accidents. Key regional health challenges include rising overweight and obesity in all countries, persistent gender differences in smoking and anaemia, and the continued burden of respiratory infections and tuberculosis in some subregions.
Key points
- Mental disorders and non-communicable diseases accounted for 64.8% of disease burden (DALYs) and 43.9% of deaths among adolescents in Asia Pacific in 2023
- Transport injuries (14.7% of deaths) and unintentional injuries (13.3% of deaths) were leading causes of mortality, particularly among males in south-eastern Asia
- Overweight and obesity prevalence increased in all countries across the region, with particularly high rates in Oceanic countries but rapidly increasing in south and south-eastern Asia
- Male smoking prevalence exceeded female prevalence in every country, with differences ranging from 1% in Australia to 40% in Timor-Leste
- Southern Asia showed the largest reduction in all-cause disease burden (1.5% per year), while Australia and New Zealand had the smallest reduction (0.2% per year)
Limitations
This is a descriptive epidemiological analysis based on secondary data from the GBD study and does not evaluate specific interventions or their effectiveness. The analysis provides regional and national estimates but cannot explain the underlying causes of observed health disparities or provide detailed local context for variation between communities within countries.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The Asia Pacific region is home to more than half of the world's 1·93 billion adolescents (aged 10-24 years). Addressing adolescent health in this region is of global importance, but to date a systematic analysis of key contributors to disease in adolescents has not been done, which is a barrier to responsive action. This systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023 aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of adolescent health across the Asia Pacific region, at both the subregional and national levels, encompassing burden of disease, mortality, and prevalence of adolescent risk factors. METHODS: As part of GBD 2023, we obtained estimates for cause-specific mortality, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and risk factor prevalence by sex for adolescents aged 10-24 years and 5-year age groups (10-14 years, 15-19 years, and 20-24 years) across 44 countries and territories (hereafter referred to collectively as Asia Pacific), grouped by seven UN subregions, from 2000 to 2023. We extracted GBD 2023 population counts and estimates of number and rate (per 100 000 population) for mortality and disease burden (DALYs). Risk prevalence estimates were obtained directly from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, and binge drinking estimates were sourced from WHO. Estimates are reported with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) where possible. UIs were estimated by running 250 draws of the posterior distribution, ordering the draws, and selecting the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles for each metric. FINDINGS: In 2023, in adolescents across Asia Pacific, there were 637 496 deaths and a total disease burden of 115·8 million DALYs, representing 34·1% of global adolescent deaths and 40·6% of the global adolescent burden of disease. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs; particularly mental disorders) were the leading causes of disease burden and mortality (64·8% of DALYs and 43·9% of deaths). Unintentional and transport injuries were also leading causes of death (14·7% of deaths due to transport injury and 13·3% of deaths due to unintentional injury) and leading causes of disease burden particularly among males in south-eastern Asia. In Melanesia, Micronesia, and some parts of south-eastern Asia (Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste), respiratory infections and tuberculosis remained important contributors. Southern Asia had the largest reduction (1·5% per year) in all-cause DALYs over the study period, and Australia and New Zealand (0·2% per year) had the smallest, with females in Australia and New Zealand showing a slight increase contrary to regional trends. Eastern Asia had the largest reduction (2·8% per year) in all-cause mortality rate and Melanesia (0·8% per year) the smallest. Risk factors generally had between-subregion and within-subregion variation; however, some regional trends stood out, with overweight and obesity increasing in all countries across the region, and binge drinking increasing in more countries than not. In 2023, prevalence of smoking in males exceeded that in females in every country, from 40% difference in Timor-Leste to less than 1% difference in Australia. Anaemia prevalence is decreasing in all countries, but female prevalence was higher and reducing at a slower rate than in males. Bullying prevalence was slightly higher in Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia combined, Australia and New Zealand, and eastern Asia compared with southern and south-eastern Asian subregions. INTERPRETATION: Several patterns were consistent across the region: the dominance of mental disorders and NCDs, the universal rise in overweight and obesity (particularly high in Oceanic countries but increasing rapidly in south and south-eastern Asia), and persistent sex-specific challenges across subregions: unintentional injuries and smoking in males, and anaemia in females. Actions to tackle shared risk factors (while accounting for context-specific local health profiles, workforce deficits, cultural factors, and health system capacity) should not be forgone due to local variation. Future research could focus on subnational variation, intersecting inequalities, and multi-sectoral interventions targeting shared risk factors. Priority actions should include regional investment in adolescent mental health services and obesity prevention, targeted injury reduction strategies for high-risk populations, and sex-specific approaches to smoking cessation and anaemia reduction, delivered through local health systems with the capacity and cultural responsiveness to meet local needs. FUNDING: Gates Foundation and Australian Government.