The results of GBD 2010 suggest that the contributions of risk factors to regional and global burden of diseases and injuries has shifted substantially between 1990, and 2010, from risk factors that mainly cause communicable diseases in children to risk factors that mainly cause non-communicable diseases in adults. The proportion of overall disease burden attributable to childhood underweight— the leading risk factor worldwide in 1990—had more than halved by 2010, making childhood underweight the eighth risk worldwide, behind six behavioural and physiological risks, and household air pollution from solid fuels. Other risks for child mortality, such as nonexclusive and discontinued breastfeeding, micronutrient deficiencies, and unimproved water and sanitation, have also fallen. However, child and maternal undernutrition risks collectively still account for almost 7% of disease burden in 2010, with unimproved water and sanitation accounting for almost 1%. Of the non-communicable disease risks, high blood pressure, high body-mass index, high fasting plasma glucose, alcohol use, and dietary risks have increased in relative importance. This overall shift has arisen from a combintion of the ageing population, substantial achievements in lowering mortality of children aged younger than 5 years, and changes in risk factor exposure.
