Short answer

Designers should consider the global and regional health landscape when identifying design problems and opportunities, focusing on solutions that address prevalent diseases and injuries.

Field
Human Factors
Source
The Lancet (2020)
Method
Systematic analysis of extensive global health data.
Sample
Data from 204 countries and territories, covering the period 1990-2019.
Evidence
Strong effect

Comprehensive global health data reveals patterns in disease and injury, providing crucial context for designing products and systems that support human health and mitigate risks. This human factors research insight is drawn from a 2020 study published in The Lancet. Using Systematic analysis of extensive global health data. with Data from 204 countries and territories, covering the period 1990-2019., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Designers should consider the global and regional health landscape when identifying design problems and opportunities, focusing on solutions that address prevalent diseases and injuries.

Study
Human FactorsHigh ImpactStrong effect

Global Disease Burden Data Informs Design for Health and Well-being

Comprehensive global health data reveals patterns in disease and injury, providing crucial context for designing products and systems that support human health and mitigate risks.

The Lancet · 2020

01

Key Findings

  • 01Significant shifts in disease burden, with an increasing emphasis on non-communicable diseases and injuries alongside communicable diseases.
  • 02Variations in disease and injury burden exist across different countries and territories, influenced by factors like socio-demographic index.
02

Application

Design takeaway

Designers should consider the global and regional health landscape when identifying design problems and opportunities, focusing on solutions that address prevalent diseases and injuries.

How to apply

When initiating a design project, research the prevalence of specific health conditions or risk factors relevant to your target user group and geographical context using global health datasets.

Project actions

  • 01Use global health data to justify the need for your design solution.
  • 02Identify specific diseases or injuries that your design aims to alleviate or prevent.
03

Method & Evidence

AimTo systematically analyze and quantify the global burden of diseases and injuries across diverse populations and regions to inform public health strategies and research.
MethodSystematic analysis of extensive global health data.
ProcedureThe study collected and analyzed data from numerous sources (censuses, surveys, registries, etc.) to estimate incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability metrics for 369 diseases and injuries across 204 countries and territories. Advanced statistical models were employed to ensure data consistency and generate uncertainty intervals for all metrics.
SampleData from 204 countries and territories, covering the period 1990-2019.
ContextGlobal public health and epidemiology.

Variables

IV["Country/Territory","Year","Disease/Injury Category","Socio-demographic Index (SDI)"]
DV["Incidence","Prevalence","Mortality","Years of Life Lost (YLLs)","Years Lived with Disability (YLDs)","Disability-Adjusted Life-Years (DALYs)"]
CV["Sex","Age group"]
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Comprehensive global coverage across a vast number of diseases and injuries.
  • +Systematic methodology ensuring consistency and comparability of data.

Limitations

The data is a broad overview; specific local nuances or emerging health issues not yet captured might exist. The study's scope is vast, so detailed information on very niche conditions might be limited.

Reliability & validity

The study employs rigorous statistical methods (e.g., Cause of Death Ensemble model, DisMod-MR 2.1) and generates uncertainty intervals to address reliability and validity. However, the reliance on diverse data sources introduces potential variability.

Think critically

Considering the data presented, what ethical considerations arise when designing health-related products for populations with high disease burdens, particularly in resource-limited settings?

05

Design Principles

"Design for health by understanding and responding to global disease and injury trends."

Understanding the prevalence and trends of various diseases and injuries worldwide is fundamental for designers aiming to create solutions that genuinely improve user well-being. This data can guide the development of medical devices, assistive technologies, public health interventions, and even everyday products by highlighting areas of greatest need and potential impact.

06

What This Means for Your Design

This research shows how many people worldwide are affected by different illnesses and injuries, and how this is changing. This helps designers know where to focus their efforts to make the biggest positive impact on people's health.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Cite this study to establish the context and significance of a health-related design problem.
  • 2.Use findings on disease prevalence to inform user research and needs analysis.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

The Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 provides a critical overview of health challenges worldwide, indicating significant shifts towards non-communicable diseases and injuries (Vos et al., 2020). This research underscores the importance of designing solutions that address prevalent health issues, informing the need for [mention your design project's focus, e.g., 'innovative assistive devices for age-related conditions' or 'preventative health technologies for cardiovascular disease'].

09

Source

The Lancet

Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

journal · 2020

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about global disease burden data informs design for health and well-being?
Designers should consider the global and regional health landscape when identifying design problems and opportunities, focusing on solutions that address prevalent diseases and injuries. Evidence: The Lancet (2020).
Why does "Global Disease Burden Data Informs Design for Health and Well-being" matter for design?
Understanding the prevalence and trends of various diseases and injuries worldwide is fundamental for designers aiming to create solutions that genuinely improve user well-being. This data can guide the development of medical devices, assistive technologies, public health interventions, and even everyday products by highlighting areas of greatest need and potential impact.
How can designers apply this research?
Designers should consider the global and regional health landscape when identifying design problems and opportunities, focusing on solutions that address prevalent diseases and injuries.
What were the main findings?
Significant shifts in disease burden, with an increasing emphasis on non-communicable diseases and injuries alongside communicable diseases.. Variations in disease and injury burden exist across different countries and territories, influenced by factors like socio-demographic index.
What research method was used?
Systematic analysis of extensive global health data. with Data from 204 countries and territories, covering the period 1990-2019..
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2020 journal from The Lancet.
What should I do differently in my next project?
When initiating a design project, research the prevalence of specific health conditions or risk factors relevant to your target user group and geographical context using global health datasets.
What are the limitations?
The study relies on the quality and availability of input data from various sources, which can vary by region. Uncertainty intervals are provided, acknowledging inherent data limitations.