Disease burden

Disease Burden

Disease burden (/diːˈziːz ˈbɜːrdən/) is a term used in epidemiology and public health to describe the impact of a health problem in an area measured by financial cost, 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 "disease burden" is derived from the English words "disease", meaning a disorder of structure or function in a human, and "burden", meaning a load, typically a heavy one. It was first used in the context of public health in the late 20th century.

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.