Oral health-related quality of life in the East African community: a scoping review
Abstract Introduction Limited 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)...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-04-01
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| Series: | BMC Oral Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-025-05921-7 |
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| author | 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 Jimoh Amzat Kehinde Kazeem Kanmodi |
| author_facet | 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 Jimoh Amzat Kehinde Kazeem Kanmodi |
| author_sort | Kafayat Aminu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Introduction Limited 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). Methods This 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. Results Oral 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. Conclusion A 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bf87ce96f3c44fd88c9948981494676a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1472-6831 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Oral Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-bf87ce96f3c44fd88c9948981494676a2025-08-20T02:17:05ZengBMCBMC Oral Health1472-68312025-04-0125112210.1186/s12903-025-05921-7Oral health-related quality of life in the East African community: a scoping reviewKafayat Aminu0Rasika Manori Jayasinghe1Peace Uwambaye2Afeez Salami3Julienne Murererehe4Marie Claire Ineza5Eustache Ntigura6Jenipher Ober-Oluoch7Danilo Zambrano Milanes8Ruwan Duminda Jayasinghe9Jimoh Amzat10Kehinde Kazeem Kanmodi11Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, University College HospitalDepartment of Prosthetic Dentistry, University of PeradeniyaDepartment of Preventive and Community Dentistry, University of RwandaFaculty of Dentistry, University of PuthisastraDepartment of Preventive and Community Dentistry, University of RwandaDepartment of Preventive and Community Dentistry, University of RwandaDepartment of Preventive and Community Dentistry, University of RwandaDepartment of Paediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, University of RwandaDepartment of Paediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, University of RwandaFaculty of Dentistry, University of PuthisastraDepartment of Sociology, Usmanu Danfodiyo UniversityDepartment of Preventive and Community Dentistry, University of RwandaAbstract Introduction Limited 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). Methods This 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. Results Oral 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. Conclusion A 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.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-025-05921-7East AfricaEast African communityGlobal healthHealth-related quality of lifeLife qualityOral health |
| spellingShingle | 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 Jimoh Amzat Kehinde Kazeem Kanmodi Oral health-related quality of life in the East African community: a scoping review BMC Oral Health East Africa East African community Global health Health-related quality of life Life quality Oral health |
| title | Oral health-related quality of life in the East African community: a scoping review |
| title_full | Oral health-related quality of life in the East African community: a scoping review |
| title_fullStr | Oral health-related quality of life in the East African community: a scoping review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Oral health-related quality of life in the East African community: a scoping review |
| title_short | Oral health-related quality of life in the East African community: a scoping review |
| title_sort | oral health related quality of life in the east african community a scoping review |
| topic | East Africa East African community Global health Health-related quality of life Life quality Oral health |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-025-05921-7 |
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