Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40211243›Full record

ArticleBMC oral health2025

Oral health-related quality of life in the East African community: a scoping review.

Kafayat Aminu, Rasika Manori Jayasinghe, Peace Uwambaye, Afeez Salami, Julienne Murererehe, Marie Claire Ineza, Eustache Ntigura, Jenipher Ober-Oluoch, Danilo Zambrano Milanes, Ruwan Duminda Jayasinghe and 2 more

Abstract readScoping Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC oral health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Kafayat AminuCentre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. bolkaf@yahoo.com.
Rasika Manori JayasingheDepartment of Prosthetic Dentistry, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
Peace UwambayeDepartment of Preventive and Community Dentistry, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda. upeace1602@gmail.com.
Afeez SalamiFaculty of Dentistry, University of Puthisastra, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Julienne MurerereheDepartment of Preventive and Community Dentistry, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
Marie Claire InezaDepartment of Preventive and Community Dentistry, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
Eustache NtiguraDepartment of Preventive and Community Dentistry, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
Jenipher Ober-OluochDepartment of Paediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
Danilo Zambrano MilanesDepartment of Paediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
Ruwan Duminda Jayasinghe *Faculty of Dentistry, University of Puthisastra, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Jimoh Amzat *Department of Sociology, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria.
Kehinde Kazeem Kanmodi *Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda. kkanmodi@puthisastra.edu.kh.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionLimited access to oral healthcare and substantial untreated cases raises concerns about the rising burden of oral conditions in East Africa. This scoping review aimed to map the existing evidence on oral health status in relation to oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) across the East African Community (EAC).

methodsThis scoping review was conducted based on the recommendations of Arksey and O'Malley's guidelines and reported based on the PRISMA-ScR checklist. Ten electronic databases were searched, using relevant keywords informed by the PCC (Population-Concept-Context) framework. The retrieved articles were deduplicated and screened for eligibility. Twenty-eight eligible articles were finally included in this review. The data charted from the included articles were collated, summarized, and reported thematically.

resultsOral health conditions were highly prevalent in East Africa, ranging from 15.8 to 83.0%, with dental caries being the most common. Prevalence and impact varied across socio-demographic factors, including age, gender, education, and place of residence. Clinical factors such as DMFT/dmft scores and pain levels, and knowledge of preventive practices, also played a crucial role in influencing oral health outcomes. While many reported satisfactions with their oral health, oral conditions significantly impacted their quality of life, disrupting essential activities like eating, sleeping, hygiene, relaxation, and social interaction. Despite the widespread occurrence and associated discomfort, the majority failed to seek dental care, resulting in persistent daily challenges and diminished overall well-being.

conclusionA high prevalence of oral conditions with serious impacts on quality of life and wellbeing was observed in the EAC. Given the satisfaction with oral health and the poor attitude towards seeking help for oral issues despite experiencing pain, we recommend future research to explore, identify, and implement contextually and culturally relevant interventions that will be tailored to the specific oral health needs of East African populations.

Indexed as

Oral HealthQuality of LifeAfrica, EasternDental CariesEast African PeopleHumansEast AfricaEast African communityGlobal healthHealth-related quality of lifeLife qualityOral healthReview

Identifiers

PMID40211243
PMCPMC11987254

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.