Prevalence of Early Childhood Caries in Africa: A Systematic Review.

IF 1.9 3区医学 Q2 DENTISTRY, ORAL SURGERY & MEDICINE

International journal of paediatric dentistry Pub Date : 2025-09-28 DOI:10.1111/ipd.70038

Faheema Kimmie-Dhansay, Ntombizodwa Rosemary Nkambule, Nadia Schoonraad, Hany Albougy, Ahmed Bhayat

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of early childhood caries (ECC) continues to increase. It is recognised as a public health concern, particularly in developing countries. Early childhood caries has numerous adverse effects on children's growth and overall well-being. Despite the global burden of ECC, data from Africa remain limited, varied and are based on inconsistent diagnostic criteria and study methodologies.

Aim: The aim was to perform a systematic review to ascertain the prevalence of ECC in children across Africa between January 2000 and March 2025.

Materials and methods: A systematic literature search of peer-reviewed articles published in English between January 2000 and March 2025 was conducted using multiple databases, including PubMed, SCOPUS, Google Scholar, AFRICA-WIDE INFO, African Journals Online (AJOL) and CINAHL. Prospero Registration: CRD42018112161.

Results: A total of 70 studies, representing 58 644 participants from 13 African countries, were included in the review. The overall prevalence of ECC was 37.9% (95% CI: 31.2-44.6), with variations observed among countries and urban/rural settings. The mean dmft score was 1.98 (95% CI: 1.86-2.10).

Discussion and conclusion: The prevalence of ECC varies considerably across the African continent. This could be due to differences in education, access to dental care and human resources among countries and regions.

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非洲儿童早期龋齿患病率：系统综述。

背景：儿童早期龋齿（ECC）的患病率持续上升。它被认为是一个公共卫生问题，特别是在发展中国家。儿童早期龋齿对儿童的成长和整体健康有许多不利影响。尽管ECC给全球带来了负担，但来自非洲的数据仍然有限、多样，并且基于不一致的诊断标准和研究方法。目的：目的是进行系统审查，以确定2000年1月至2025年3月期间非洲儿童中ECC的患病率。材料与方法：利用PubMed、SCOPUS、谷歌Scholar、AFRICA-WIDE INFO、African Journals Online （AJOL）和CINAHL等多个数据库，对2000年1月至2025年3月间发表的同行评议的英文文章进行了系统的文献检索。普洛斯彼罗注册号：CRD42018112161。结果：本综述共纳入了70项研究，涉及来自13个非洲国家的58644名参与者。ECC的总体患病率为37.9% (95% CI: 31.2-44.6)，在国家和城市/农村环境中观察到差异。平均dmft评分为1.98 （95% CI: 1.86-2.10）。讨论和结论：ECC的流行在整个非洲大陆差异很大。这可能是由于国家和地区之间在教育、获得牙科保健和人力资源方面的差异。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International journal of paediatric dentistry 医学-小儿科

CiteScore

5.50

自引率

2.60%

发文量

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry was formed in 1991 by the merger of the Journals of the International Association of Paediatric Dentistry and the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry and is published bi-monthly. It has true international scope and aims to promote the highest standard of education, practice and research in paediatric dentistry world-wide. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry publishes papers on all aspects of paediatric dentistry including: growth and development, behaviour management, diagnosis, prevention, restorative treatment and issue relating to medically compromised children or those with disabilities. This peer-reviewed journal features scientific articles, reviews, case reports, clinical techniques, short communications and abstracts of current paediatric dental research. Analytical studies with a scientific novelty value are preferred to descriptive studies. Case reports illustrating unusual conditions and clinically relevant observations are acceptable but must be of sufficiently high quality to be considered for publication; particularly the illustrative material must be of the highest quality.