Non-Cochrane · prognostic · PM41857585
Prevalence and associated risk indicators of early childhood caries in Nigeria: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Orhorhoro Enameguolo Eureka, Chukwumah Nneka Maureen, Adewale Opeoluwa, et al. · BMC oral health · 2026 · PubMed · doi:10.1186/s12903-026-08092-1
Findings
Population Children aged 0-71 months resident in Nigeria
32 findings
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Geopolitical zone: South-south | Prevalence (%) 10 [6, 13] GRADE not reported 4 studies |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Age: 12-23 months | Prevalence (%) 4 [3, 5] GRADE not reported 5 studies |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Year of publication: 2006-2010 | Prevalence (%) 19 [10, 27] GRADE not reported 7 studies · 2511 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Age: 48-59 months | Prevalence (%) 32 [22, 41] GRADE not reported 7 studies |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Age: 24-35 months | Prevalence (%) 8 [4, 12] GRADE not reported 6 studies |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Socioeconomic status: all groups combined | Prevalence (%) 10 [7, 14] GRADE not reported 14 studies · 1620 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out excluding Iyun [51] | Prevalence (%) 21 [16, 26] GRADE not reported 26 studies |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Sex: male and female combined | Prevalence (%) 15 [9, 22] GRADE not reported 20 studies · 3631 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Socioeconomic status: middle | Prevalence (%) 10 [3, 17] GRADE not reported 5 studies · 639 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out excluding Adeniyi et al. [47] | Prevalence (%) 19 [15, 25] GRADE not reported 26 studies |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Age: less than 12 months | No cases of ECC were found in children under 12 months (not estimable in Figure 6; 4 studies each with 0 prevalence) GRADE not reported 4 studies · 0 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Geopolitical zone: South-east | Prevalence (%) 10 [7, 13] GRADE not reported 1 study · 429 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Age: 36-47 months | Prevalence (%) 18 [12, 23] GRADE not reported 10 studies |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out excluding Adeniyi et al. [60] (Adeniyi 2016) | Prevalence (%) 19 [15, 23] GRADE not reported 26 studies |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Sex: female | Prevalence (%) 17 [6, 28] GRADE not reported 10 studies · 1746 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out excluding Popoola [39] | Prevalence (%) 21 [16, 26] GRADE not reported 26 studies |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out excluding Nzomiwu [66] | Prevalence (%) 20 [16, 25] GRADE not reported 26 studies |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out excluding Ashiwaju [67] | Prevalence (%) 20 [16, 25] GRADE not reported 26 studies |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Year of publication: 2016-2020 | Prevalence (%) 27 [14, 40] GRADE not reported 7 studies · 2011 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out excluding Ligali and Olatosi [54] | Prevalence (%) 21 [16, 26] GRADE not reported 26 studies |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Year of publication: 2021-2025 | Prevalence (%) 14 [7, 20] GRADE not reported 7 studies · 1383 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Geopolitical zone: North-west | Prevalence (%) 3 [-15, 22] GRADE not reported 1 study · 346 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Geopolitical zone: North-east | Prevalence (%) 25 [15, 34] GRADE not reported 2 studies |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Geopolitical zone: South-west | Prevalence (%) 25 [19, 32] GRADE not reported 19 studies |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Socioeconomic status: low | Prevalence (%) 8 [3, 12] GRADE not reported 5 studies · 461 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Socioeconomic status: high | Prevalence (%) 16 [12, 20] GRADE not reported 4 studies · 520 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Age: 60-71 months | Prevalence (%) 22 [14, 29] GRADE not reported 8 studies |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Year of publication: 2011-2015 | Prevalence (%) 29 [18, 39] GRADE not reported 6 studies · 1336 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Geopolitical zone: all zones combined | Prevalence (%) 21 [17, 26] GRADE not reported 27 studies · 7241 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Sex: male | Prevalence (%) 14 [7, 22] GRADE not reported 10 studies · 1885 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence | Prevalence (%) 22 [17, 26] GRADE not reported 27 studies · 7241 participants |
| Not applicable (prevalence) | Not applicable | Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence Age: all age groups combined | Prevalence (%) 18 [14, 21] GRADE not reported 36 studies |
Included primary studies 54
Open in Studies| Study | Year | Also included by | Outcomes it informs here | Trial data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Folayan 2019 Association between early childhood caries and malnutrition in a sub-urban population in Nigeria. PMID:31722683 | 2019 | 2 other reviews | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Adeniyi 2009 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Adeniyi 2016 DENTAL CARIES AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF SCHOOL CHILDREN IN LAGOS, NIGERIA - A PRELIMINARY SURVEY. PMID:28856122 | 2016 | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Afolabi 2023 Viral carcinogenesis. PMID:4162023 | 1966 | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Coker 2018 Perinatal HIV Infection and Exposure and Their Association With Dental Caries in Nigerian Children. PMID:28746260 | 2018 | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Folayan 2007 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Folayan 2019 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Iyun 2014 Prevalence and pattern of early childhood caries in Ibadan, Nigeria. PMID:26223142 | 2014 | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Olatosi 2015 The prevalence of early childhood caries and its associated risk factors among preschool children referred to a tertiary care institution. PMID:25966721 | 2015 | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Onyejaka and Amobi 2016 DOI:10.4034/pboci.2016.161.40 | NR | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Oziegbe 2023 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Sowole 2007 Dental caries pattern and predisposing oral hygiene related factors in Nigerian preschool children. PMID:18076852 | 2007 | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Adeniyi 2009 Do maternal factors influence the dental health status of Nigerian pre-school children? PMID:19732189 | 2009 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Adeniyi 2016 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Ashiwaju 2011 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Ashiwaju 2011 Pattern of tooth extraction in children attending tertiary health care centers in Nigeria: a prospective study. PMID:22900453 | 2011 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Chukwumah 2025 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Coker 2018 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Eigbobo 2018 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Eigbobo and Alade 2018 Dental caries experience in primary school pupils in Port Harcourt, Nigeria DOI:10.4103/smj.smj_70_15 | 2017 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Folayan 2007 Risk factors for caries in children from south-western Nigeria. PMID:18389686 | 2008 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Folayan 2010 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Folayan 2010 Impact of infant feeding practices on caries experience of preschool children. PMID:20831129 | 2010 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Iyun 2014 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Kolawole 2016 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Kolawole 2016 Digit Sucking Habit and Association with Dental Caries and Oral Hygiene Status of Children Aged 6 Months to 12 Years Resident in… PMID:26890262 | 2016 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Ligali 2023 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Ligali 2024 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Ligali and Orenuga 2023 Oral health and nutritional Status of Preschool-Aged Children in Maiduguri, North-East, Nigeria. PMID:38091448 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Nzomiwu 2016 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Okafor 2023 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Okafor 2023 (dissertation) matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Olatosi 2015 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Olatosi 2022 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Omotuyole 2023 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Onyejaka 2016 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Onyejaka 2024 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Onyejaka 2024 (conference abstract) matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Orhorhoro 2025 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Orhorhoro and Chukwumah 2025 Effect of Restriction of School Time Snacking on Prevalence of Early Childhood Caries DOI:10.4314/njdr.v10i1.2 | 2025 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Ota 2023 Nursing care study. Paranoid schizophrenia: learning to cope with eccentricity. PMID:252023 | 1978 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Oziegbe 2013 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Oziegbe and Esan 2013 Prevalence and clinical consequences of untreated dental caries using PUFA index in suburban Nigerian school children. PMID:23780656 | 2013 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Oziegbe and Schepartz 2023 Parity, Maternal-Child Oral Interactions and Early Childhood Caries (ECC) among Northern Nigerian Hausa children DOI:10.26502/droh.0060 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Popoola 2013 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Popoola 2013 Influence of parental socioeconomic status on caries prevalence among children seen at the university college hospital, ibadan. PMID:25161425 | 2013 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Sofola 2013 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Sofola 2013 Changes in the prevalence of dental caries in primary school children in Lagos State, Nigeria. PMID:24553018 | 2014 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Sofowora 2006 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Sofowora 2006b matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Sofowora 2006b Rampant caries experience in a Nigerian teaching hospital population. PMID:16794642 | 2006 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Sowole 2006 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Sowole 2007 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Sowole and Sote 2006 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | 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 0-71 months resident in Nigeria with ECC experience | Children aged 0-71 months in Nigeria (9936 participants, 1565 with ECC across 31 studies; 7241 participants and 1099 cases in the 27 pooled studies) |
| Intervention | Exposure at individual and household levels (PECO); no intervention | Not applicable (prevalence and risk indicator review) |
| Comparison | Children aged 0-71 months resident in Nigeria without ECC experience | Not applicable |
| Outcomes | ECC experience: prevalence and associated risk indicators | ECC prevalence (dmft-based in most studies); 64 risk indicators investigated, synthesized narratively |
| Study designs | Peer-reviewed articles, conference proceedings, government and international organization reports and unpublished studies; clinical trials with baseline prevalence data; case reports, case series, qualitative, animal and in vitro studies excluded | 31 cross-sectional studies (27 peer-reviewed articles in the meta-analysis, 4 grey literature sources) |
| Timing | Search from inception to 1 April 2025 | Studies published 2006 to 2025 |