At present, there are limited systematic studies on the burden of migraine disease in young people aged 10~24 years in China.

Analyzing the current burden of migraine among Chinese young people in 2021, and exploring the changing trends in the burden of migraine from 1990 to 2021 by age, gender, and temporal patterns.

From the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database, migraine data from 1990 to 2021 were extracted, with prevalence, incidence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) selected as indicators to assess the burden of migraine. Assess the trends in the changes of prevalence rate, incidence rate, and DALYs rate cases in 2021 compared to 1990 by using percentage changes. Establishing the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) model to assess the trends in prevalence, incidence, and DALYs rates over the past 32 years.

In 2021, the Chinese prevalence, incidence, and DALYs cases of migraine among young people were 27.638 million, 3.498 million, and 1.03 million person-years, respectively, which respectively account for 1/11 of the global cases and 30% of the middle socio-demographic index (Middle SDI) regions. However, the prevalence rate, incidence rate, and DALYs rate in China were all lower than those in the global and Middle SDI regions. Specifically, the prevalence rate among young people in China was 11 809.0 per 100 000 population, which was lower than the global rate of 16 108.1 per 100 000 and the rate in Middle SDI regions of 16 455.8 per 100 000 population. From 1990 to 2021, the prevalence rate, incidence rate, and DALYs rate of migraine among young people in China all showed an increasing trend. The prevalence rate rose from 11 556.5 (95%UI=9 120.2-14 491.3) per 100 000 population in 1990 to 11 809.0 (95%UI=9 167.3-14 976.8) per 100 000 population in 2021, with an EAPC of 0.28 (95%CI=0.15-0.40). The incidence rate increased from 1 379.5 (95%UI=1 075.3-1 708.2) per 100 000 population in 1990 to 1 494.6 (95%UI=1 168.5-1 826.5) per 100 000 population in 2021, with an EAPC of 0.17 (95%CI=0.10-0.24). The DALYs rate rose from 430.9 (95%UI=42.0-1 033.0) per 100 000 population in 1990 to 440.2 (95%UI=39.4-1 066.6) per 100 000 population in 2021, with an EAPC of 0.29 (95%CI=0.16-0.42). Compared to 1990, the number of prevalent cases, incident cases, and DALYs cases of migraine among young people in China decreased by approximately one-third in 2021. Additionally, there were significant age and gender differences in the migraine burden among young people in China. A particularly noticeable upward trend in prevalence, incidence, and DALYs rates was observed in the 10-14 age group, with EAPCs of 0.28 (95%CI=0.24-0.33), 0.27 (95%CI=0.22-0.33), and 0.29 (95%CI=0.25-0.34). The migraine burden among young women in China was higher than that in men. In 2021, women aged 10-14, 15-19, 20-24, and the overall 10-24 age group had prevalence, incidence, and DALYs rates approximately 1.7 times higher than those of men.

From 1990 to 2021, the prevalent cases, incidenct cases, and DALYs cases of migraine among Chinese young people have all shown an increasing trend. Among young people in each age group, the migraine burden is higher in females than in males. Based on age distribution, despite the relatively low burden of migraine among young people aged 10-14 in China, this age group has experienced the fastest growth rate in disease burden. These characteristics indicate the need for targeted intervention measures for adolescent migraine issues in China.