Publication date: May 28, 2026
To evaluate long-term trends of refractive error-related blindness in Chinese children and adolescents (1990-2021) and project future trajectories to 2035, assessing impacts of COVID-19 and socioeconomic development. Retrospective and predictive analysis using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 data. Primary outcomes were age-specific prevalence and DALY rates in youth (10-fold variation in adolescent burden across countries. Despite declining age-standardized rates, rising youth prevalence demands targeted interventions. Encouraging projections suggest delayed policy impacts, while COVID-19 disruptions highlight health system vulnerabilities. Prioritizing early screening and adolescent-focused strategies remains critical.
| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Blindness | Adolescents |
| Chinese | blindness |
| Socioeconomic | China |
| COVID-19 | |
| refractive error | |
| trend analysis |
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 |
| disease | MESH | Blindness |
| disease | MESH | Refractive Error |