Prevalence and pattern of Early Childhood Caries in Africans and African Americans: Protocol for a Systematic review and Meta-analysis

Background A high prevalence of early childhood caries in African and black Africans in developed countries has been reported in documented studies. A plethora of factors, ranging from individual, social and environmental factors, have also been identified in these studies. Despite the knowledge of these factors and preventive strategies to resolve them, the potential risks and prevalence of caries in these populations are still relatively high. This, coupled with attendant economic liabilities and lingering potential health outcomes of these diseases, makes early detection and management necessary in susceptible individuals. Therefore, we plan to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the prevalence of depression in sub-Saharan African children and Black children in developed countries to explore the potential risk factors for increased caries prevalence within this cohort. Methods We will search literature databases recorded in MEDLINE via PubMed, EBSCOhost, Scopus, CINAHL via EBSCO, African Journals Online (AJOL), and the Web of Sciences from their inception onward. We will also perform searches through selected relevant articles, and we will also search gray literature and relevant websites. Two reviewers will screen studies, extract data, and evaluate the risk of bias independently. The risk of bias will be assessed with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data. Statistical analysis will be conducted on the included studies using random effects meta-analysis of observational data to summarize the pooled prevalence, and odds ratios for categorical data will be used to explore potential risk factors if available. Prevalence estimates will be stratified according to age, sex, year of publication, country and other factors. Statistical heterogeneity will be estimated using Cochran’s Q and I2 indices. We will conduct meta-regression to investigate the potential sources of heterogeneity and funnel plots and Egger’s test to assess publication bias and small study bias. Discussion This systematic review and meta-analysis provide robust evidence of the prevalence and risk factors for early childhood caries in this population. We expect to provide evidence for healthcare planning and policy formulation. Systematic review registration: The protocol of this systematic review was registered with PROSPERO with registration number CRD42024521637.