Question · asked by 1 review
Secondary (passive/secondhand) smoking exposure during childhood vs No secondary smoking exposure: Caries prevalence (early childhood caries)
- Population
- Preschool children aged <=71 months (caries outcome assessed at 3-6 years)
- Intervention
- Secondary (passive/secondhand) smoking exposure during childhood
- Comparison
- No secondary smoking exposure
- Outcome
- Caries prevalence (early childhood caries)
Preschool children exposed to secondary smoking have higher odds of caries prevalence (OR 1.77), but the cross-sectional evidence is very uncertain (very low certainty).
What each review found
Current versions onlyNo studies found 0 · 0%GRADE not reported 0 · 0%Very low 1 · 50%Low 1 · 50%Moderate 0 · 0%High 0 · 0%
| Finding | Effect | Studies | GRADE certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
Secondary (passive/secondhand) smoking exposure during childhood vs No secondary smoking exposure Caries prevalence (early childhood caries) · Preschool children aged <=71 months (caries outcome assessed at 3-6 years) · Caries prevalence at 3-6 years, Population/community; dental examination (no restriction); mostly Asia, Overall Preschool children exposed to secondary smoking have higher odds of caries prevalence (OR 1.77), but the cross-sectional evidence is very uncertain (very low certainty). Secondary Smoking and Early Childhood Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. (2025) All outcomes | OR 1.77 [1.57, 2.01] | 11 studies · 14,794 participants | Very low |
Secondary (passive/secondhand) smoking exposure during childhood vs No secondary smoking exposure Caries prevalence (early childhood caries) · Preschool children aged <=71 months (caries outcome assessed at 3-6 years) · Caries prevalence at 4-6 years, Age- and gender-matched case-control (Turkey, Iraq), Overall Children exposed to secondary smoking may have higher odds of caries prevalence (OR 4.46; low certainty) based on two case-control studies. Secondary Smoking and Early Childhood Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. (2025) All outcomes | OR 4.46 [2.08, 9.55] | 2 studies · 240 participants | Low |
Findings are shown side by side, never pooled across reviews.
The reviews
| Review | Searched up to | Included studies | AMSTAR 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary Smoking and Early Childhood Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 2025 All outcomes | 20 June 2024 | 16 | Not applicable |
Studies behind the findings
The primary studies the full-text reviews tie to this outcome. Reviews with headline outcomes only do not list them here.
- Association between Insufficient Sleep and Dental Caries among Preschoolers in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Multicentre Study. · 2021 · included by 1 of these review
- Influence of life-style factors, including second-hand smoke, on dental caries among 3-year-old children in Wuxi, China. · 2020 · included by 1 of these review
- Associations of nutritional status, sugar and second-hand smoke exposure with dental caries among 3- to 6-year old Malaysian… · 2020 · included by 1 of these review
- Dental Caries Experience and Salivary Total Protein among 5 Years Passive Smokers in Tikrit City, Iraq · 2019 · included by 1 of these review
- Association of Environmental Tobacco Smoke with the Risk of Severe Early Childhood Caries among 3-Year-Old Japanese Children. · 2019 · included by 1 of these review
- Association between exposure to household smoking and dental caries in preschool children: a cross-sectional study. · 2019 · included by 1 of these review
- Parental occupations, educational levels, and income and prevalence of dental caries in 3-year-old Japanese children. · 2017 · included by 1 of these review
- Association of environmental tobacco smoke and snacking habits with the risk of early childhood caries among 3-year-old Japanese children. · 2015 · included by 1 of these review
- Caries experience and related factors in 4-6 year-olds attending dental clinics in Kinshasa, DR of Congo. · 2013 · included by 1 of these review
- The effect of maternal smoking during pregnancy and postnatal household smoking on dental caries in young children. · 2009 · included by 1 of these review
- Parental smoking behavior and caries experience in preschool children. · 2008 · included by 1 of these review
- Association of passive smoking with caries and related salivary biomarkers in young children. · 2008 · included by 1 of these review
- Dental caries in 3-year-old children and smoking status of parents. · 2008 · included by 1 of these review
- Parental smoking practices and caries experience in pre-school children. · 2000 · included by 1 of these review
How reviews are matched to this question
Reviews word the same question differently. Four decision models (TypeSafe's Jev, Liquid AI's d1-ultra, SubQ Snap and Baseten's Elephant) judged each wording of the population, intervention, comparator and outcome against the others; two wordings count as the same when at least three of them agree and none clearly disagrees, and findings count as this question only when all four elements match. Timing, setting and subgroup never split a question: they are shown on each finding.