Burden of disease

Burden of Disease

The Burden of Disease (pronunciation: /ˈbɜːrdn ɒv dɪˈziːz/) is a term used in Epidemiology and Public Health to quantify the impact of a health problem in terms of mortality, morbidity, or other indicators. It is often quantified in terms of Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) or Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), both of which quantify the number of years lost due to disease (YLDs).

Etymology

The term "Burden of Disease" is derived from the English words "burden" meaning a load, and "disease" meaning a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific symptoms or that affects a specific location. The term was first used in the late 20th century by epidemiologists and public health professionals.

Related Terms

Epidemiology: The study and analysis of the distribution, patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in defined populations.
Public Health: The science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities.
Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs): A measure of the state of health of a person or group in which the benefits, in terms of length of life, are adjusted to reflect the quality of life.
Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs): A measure of overall disease burden, expressed as the number of years lost due to ill-health, disability or early death.
Years lost due to disease (YLDs): A measure of the years of what could have been a healthy life but were instead spent in states of less than full health.