Non-Cochrane · prognostic · PM41578280
Prevalence of early childhood caries in Southern Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Ogunlade Oluwasayo Bolarinwa, Adu Richard Akinjide, Afolabi Adebukunola Olajumoke, et al. · BMC oral health · 2026 · PubMed · doi:10.1186/s12903-026-07724-w
Findings
Population Children aged 71 months or younger in Southern Africa
9 findings
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Prevalence of early childhood caries (dmft-based) Point prevalence; studies published 2000 to 2025 · Southern Africa (schools, hospitals, community) · Sex: males | Prevalence 0.51 [0.42, 0.61] GRADE not reported 6 studies |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Prevalence of early childhood caries (dmft-based) Point prevalence; studies published 2000 to 2025 · Southern Africa (schools, hospitals, community) · Setting analysis: all hospital and school studies combined | Prevalence 0.49 [0.42, 0.56] GRADE not reported 8 studies · 21598 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Prevalence of early childhood caries (dmft-based) Point prevalence; studies published 2000 to 2025 · Southern Africa (schools, hospitals, community) | Prevalence 0.52 [0.44, 0.59] GRADE not reported 9 studies · 22257 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Prevalence of early childhood caries (dmft-based) Point prevalence; studies published 2000 to 2025 · Southern Africa (schools, hospitals, community) · Sample size >500 | Prevalence 0.53 [0.41, 0.65] GRADE not reported 4 studies · 20879 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Prevalence of early childhood caries (dmft-based) Point prevalence; studies published 2000 to 2025 · Southern Africa (schools, hospitals, community) · Sex analysis: males and females combined | Prevalence 0.49 [0.43, 0.54] GRADE not reported 6 studies |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Prevalence of early childhood caries (dmft-based) Point prevalence; studies published 2000 to 2025 · Southern Africa (schools, hospitals, community) · Setting: school based | Prevalence 0.49 [0.4, 0.57] GRADE not reported 6 studies · 21084 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Prevalence of early childhood caries (dmft-based) Point prevalence; studies published 2000 to 2025 · Southern Africa (schools, hospitals, community) · Sample size <500 | Prevalence 0.5 [0.46, 0.54] GRADE not reported 5 studies · 1378 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Prevalence of early childhood caries (dmft-based) Point prevalence; studies published 2000 to 2025 · Southern Africa (schools, hospitals, community) · Sex: females | Prevalence 0.46 [0.38, 0.54] GRADE not reported 6 studies |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Prevalence of early childhood caries (dmft-based) Point prevalence; studies published 2000 to 2025 · Southern Africa (schools, hospitals, community) · Setting: hospital based | Prevalence 0.49 [0.45, 0.54] GRADE not reported 2 studies · 514 participants |
Included primary studies 26
Open in Studies| Study | Year | Also included by | Outcomes it informs here | Trial data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaton-Jones 2000 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Mndzebele 2014 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | 1 other review | Prevalence of early childhood caries (dmft-based) | not extracted yet |
| Mohamed 2018 Early childhood caries and dental treatment need in low socio-economic communities in Cape Town, South Africa. PMID:31934368 | 2018 | 1 other review | Prevalence of early childhood caries (dmft-based) | not extracted yet |
| Van Wyk 2004 Caries status and treatment needs in South Africa: report of the 1999-2002 National Children's Oral Health Survey. PMID:15457909 | 2004 | 1 other review | Prevalence of early childhood caries (dmft-based) | not extracted yet |
| Vanwyk 2004 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Ali 2008 Different structural organization of the encephalopsin gene in man and mouse. PMID:12242008 | 2002 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Cleaton-Jones 2000 Surveillance of primary dentition caries in Germiston, South Africa, 1981-97. PMID:10901405 | 2000 | this review only | Prevalence of early childhood caries (dmft-based) | not extracted yet |
| Cleaton-Jones 2008 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Cleaton-Jones 2008 Dental caries rates in primary teeth in 2002, and caries surveillance trends 1981-2002, in a South African city. PMID:18637318 | 2008 | this review only | Prevalence of early childhood caries (dmft-based) | not extracted yet |
| Issa 2023 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Jacob 2006 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Jacobs 2006 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Kalil 2017 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| MacKeown 2003 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| MacKeown 2003 Caries and micronutrient intake among urban South African children: a cohort study. PMID:12752548 | 2003 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Mohamed 2018 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Postma 2008 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Postma 2008 Socio-demographic correlates of early childhood caries prevalence and severity in a developing country--South Africa. PMID:18478890 | 2008 | this review only | Prevalence of early childhood caries (dmft-based) | not extracted yet |
| Songa 2022 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Songa 2022 Analysis of the Dental Caries Epidemiological Profile in Children of Benguela city, Angola. PMID:35285603 | 2022 | this review only | Prevalence of early childhood caries (dmft-based) | not extracted yet |
| Suemma Issufo Issa 2023 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Thekiso 2012 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Thekiso 2012 Caries status among children in the West Rand District of Gauteng Province, South Africa. PMID:23951784 | 2012 | this review only | Prevalence of early childhood caries (dmft-based) | not extracted yet |
| Thopil 2013 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Wanjau & Plessis 2006 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Wanjau 2006 Prevalence of early childhood caries in 3- to 5-year-old children in Philadelphia district, Mpumalanga Province. PMID:17201306 | 2006 | this review only | Prevalence of early childhood caries (dmft-based) | not extracted yet |
Overlap with other reviews
Reviews that include the same primary studies are not independent evidence. Shared counts match studies by PMID, DOI or NCT, and otherwise by author and year (a probable match). Only the non-Cochrane dental reviews have study lists, so overlap with Cochrane reviews is not counted yet.
Review question
| Element | Planned (methods) | Found (results) |
|---|---|---|
| Population | Children aged 71 months or younger living in Southern Africa (South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique); special needs, systemic disease and multiple age groups beyond 71 months excluded | Children aged up to 71 months in South Africa, Angola, Namibia and Mozambique (n=25,935) |
| Intervention | ECC as the exposure of interest (PEO framework) | ECC (dmft, pufa, ICDAS) |
| Comparison | Not specified | Not applicable |
| Outcomes | Prevalence of ECC; risk factors associated with ECC | Pooled prevalence of ECC 52% (95% CI 44 to 59%, I2 99%, 9 studies); risk factors summarized narratively |
| Study designs | Cross-sectional, cohort, clinical trials reporting baseline ECC prevalence, and case-control studies, 2000 to 2025 | Cross-sectional and cohort studies (n=15); 9 in meta-analysis |
| Timing | Not specified | Not specified |