ArticleZhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences2026
Sex differences in the global burden of autism spectrum disorders: An analysis based on GBD 2021 data.
Article in Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) has become an increasingly serious global public health challenge, with a continuously rising disease burden and marked sex differences. This study aims to evaluate the long-term trends and global distribution patterns of sex differences in the burden of ASD and to project future changes, thereby providing evidence for ASD prevention and management.
methodsBased on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 data, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for ASD were extracted for 204 countries and territories. Combined with the sociodemographic index (SDI), the average annual percentage change (AAPC) was used to analyze sex differences in temporal trends and spatial distribution of ASD burden from 1990 to 2021, and to project trends from 2022 to 2050.
resultsFrom 1990 to 2021, the global age-standardized DALY rate (ASDR) for ASD was significantly higher in males than in females, and this pattern is projected to persist through 2050. The absolute difference (AD) in ASDR ranged from 103.5 to 105.3 per 100 000, and the relative difference (RD) ranged from 1.0 to 1.1, with the most pronounced sex differences observed in East Asia and high-SDI regions. The male ASDR showed an increasing trend from 1990 to 2021, whereas the female ASDR is projected to increase after 2021, particularly in Africa. In 2021, global DALYs for ASD peaked among children under 5 years of age (221.9 per 100 000 in males and 112.8 per 100 000 in females), and the relative difference in DALYs increased with age. The absolute difference in DALYs during adulthood generally declined but increased among young adults and those aged ≥70 years, consistent with the pattern observed for relative differences. At the national level, sex differences were positively correlated with SDI and universal health coverage (UHC), and negatively correlated with the gender inequality index (GII) (all
conclusionsSex differences in the burden of ASD persist globally and increase with age. Targeted prevention and control strategies tailored to different sexes and age groups are warranted.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.