Abstract
Introduction: Scabies represents a significant burden worldwide, but epidemiologically, how it relates to socioeconomic status, and impact of recent global interventions remains largely unknown.Methods: We analyzed global scabies trends from 2015 to 2017 in 195 countries worldwide through the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) database, including age-standardized prevalence rates, relationship to comorbidities, and age and sex patterns. We also compared scabies burden to a country’s socioeconomic status by using disability-adjusted life years and socio-demographic index, respectively. Results: The age-specific prevalence rate in 2017 demonstrated a right skewed distribution with a peak between 15 and 20 years of age, and a roughly equal male:female ratio across all ages. Scabies burden was higher in resource-poor countries. The world regions of Oceania, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and tropical Latin America had the greatest prevalence of scabies. The individual countries with highest scabies burden were Papua New Guinea (age-standardized DALYs 148.2), Solomon Islands (140.5), Kiribati (139.9), Timor-Leste (138.2) and the Maldives (134.9). A positive linear relationship exists between scabies burden and burden of rheumatic fever and bacterial skin disease.Conclusion: The burden of scabies is highest in children, adolescents, tropical climates, and low income countries. Rheumatic fever and bacterial skin disease burden is higher in areas where scabies burden is also higher. These global data may potentially serve as a purposeful measure for directing resources to improve the global burden of scabies.
Highlights
Scabies represents a significant burden worldwide, but epidemiologically, relation to socioeconomic status, and impact of recent global interventions remains largely unknown
One measure of scabies disease morbidity is through disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), measured as Years of Life Lost due to premature mortality in the population plus the Years Lost due to Disability for people living with a health condition or its consequences.[1]
The sociodemographic index (SDI) is a composite average of income per capita, years of schooling, and total fertility rate (TFR) used to identify where countries score on a spectrum of development on a scale of zero to one.[2]
Summary
Scabies represents a significant burden worldwide, but epidemiologically, relation to socioeconomic status, and impact of recent global interventions remains largely unknown. One measure of scabies disease morbidity is through disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), measured as Years of Life Lost due to premature mortality in the population plus the Years Lost due to Disability for people living with a health condition or its consequences.[1] One DALY can be thought of as one year of healthy life lost, and the sum of DALYs across a population is the burden of disease.[1] the sociodemographic index (SDI) was developed in 2016 to track key measures of socioeconomic development, predict health outcomes, monitor inequalities, and monitor the impact of interventions on health outcomes such as DALYs.[2,3] The SDI is a composite average of income per capita, years of schooling, and total fertility rate (TFR) used to identify where countries score on a spectrum of development on a scale of zero to one.[2] An SDI score of one represents the highest possible income per capita, greatest average number of years of schooling, and lowest TFR Metrics such as DALYs and SDI may help dermatologists and key policy and decision makers interested in reducing global health disparities from scabies and its related comorbidities to focus their time and resources on interventions to help maximize public health impact
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
