Trends in deaths and disability-adjusted life-years of stroke attributable to low physical activity worldwide, 1990-2019

Abstract

Abstract Background Low physical activity (LPA) has been linked to the risk of stroke. Previous studies on the disease burden of stroke attributable to LPA are incomplete and lagged. We aim to assess spatiotemporal trends in the global burden of stroke attributable to LPA from 1990 to 2019. Methods Based on the global burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study, our research examined deaths, the Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), the Age-Standardized Mortality Rate (ASMR), the Age-Standardized DALY Rate (ASDR), and the Estimated Annual Percentage Change (EAPC) for stroke attributable to LPA. Results Deaths and DALYs were on the rise worldwide from 1990 to 2019, with increases of 72.72% for the former and 67.41% for the latter; ASMR and ASDR decreased, with the ASMR-related EAPC of -1.61 (95% CI:-1.71–-1.5) and ASDR-related EAPC of -1.35 (95% CI:-1.43–-1.27); the females had more numbers of deaths and DALYs, and the majorities of deaths and DALYs were shared by those aged ≥70. The highest-burden rates were shared by North Africa, Middle East, and Tropical Latin America; the ASMR-related EAPC was associated with the ASMR in 1990 (R=-0.26, P<0.001) and the Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) across different countries in 2019 (R=-0.61, P<0.001), respectively, and such patterns were similar to what ASDR and the ASDR-related EAPC had; the Human Development Index (HDI) in 2019 was associated with the ASMR-related EAPC (R=0.63, P<0.001) and the ASDR-related EAPC across different countries (R=-0.62, P< 0.001), respectively. Conclusions Globally, deaths and DALYs of stroke attributable to LPA have deteriorated over the recent three decades. Special attention should be given to the effects of physical activity on health, and patients with stroke attributable to LPA worldwide should energetically be cared about, especially among those aged ≥ 70 and females in the regions of East Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East.