Abdunabi Farida, Kowash Mawlood, Khamis Amar, Abuzayeda Moosa
General Dentistry, Hamdan Bin Mohammed College of Dental Medicine, Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Biostatistics, Hamdan Bin Mohammed College of Dental Medicine, Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine Biostatistics, Hamdan Bin Mohammed College of Dental Medicine, Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2025 Jun 30;15(3):211-221. doi: 10.4103/jispcd.jispcd_5_25. eCollection 2025 May-Jun.
Dental caries remains a significant public health burden among children in Libya, yet national-level epidemiological data are fragmented and inconsistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to provide a comprehensive estimate of caries prevalence and severity among Libyan school children.
A systematic search of four electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar) was conducted for studies published between January 1990 and June 2024. Inclusion criteria targeted observational studies reporting Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth (DMFT) scores or prevalence of caries among children aged 5-15 years in Libya. Data were synthesized using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed using ² and Cochran's -statistic. Publication bias was evaluated using funnel plots and Egger's regression test.
Seventeen studies were included, encompassing a pooled sample of 7149 children for DMFT and 7079 for prevalence. The overall mean DMFT was 2.577 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.533-2.620), and the pooled prevalence of caries in permanent teeth was 64.7% (95% CI: 63.9%-65.4%). Substantial heterogeneity was observed ( > 99% for both outcomes, < 0.001), and publication bias was confirmed by Egger's test ( = 0.001-0.003). Most studies originated from Benghazi, with limited data from other regions.
Libyan children exhibit a high burden of dental caries, with significant geographic and methodological variability. These findings emphasize the urgent need for comprehensive preventive programs, school-based oral healthcare initiatives, and improved data collection strategies across all Libyan regions.
龋齿仍是利比亚儿童面临的一项重大公共卫生负担，但国家层面的流行病学数据零散且不一致。本系统评价和荟萃分析旨在全面评估利比亚学童的龋齿患病率和严重程度。
对四个电子数据库（PubMed、Scopus、Cochrane图书馆和谷歌学术）进行系统检索，以查找1990年1月至2024年6月发表的研究。纳入标准针对报告利比亚5至15岁儿童龋失补牙（DMFT）评分或龋齿患病率的观察性研究。使用随机效应模型对数据进行综合分析。使用I²和Cochran's Q统计量评估异质性。使用漏斗图和Egger回归检验评估发表偏倚。
纳入了17项研究，汇总样本中DMFT的儿童有7149名，患病率的有7079名。总体平均DMFT为2.577（95%置信区间[CI]：2.533 - 2.620），恒牙龋齿的汇总患病率为64.7%（95%CI：63.9% - 65.4%）。观察到存在显著异质性（两个结果的I²均>99%，P<0.001），Egger检验证实存在发表偏倚（P = 0.001 - 0.003）。大多数研究来自班加西，其他地区的数据有限。
利比亚儿童龋齿负担较重，存在显著的地理和方法学差异。这些发现强调迫切需要在利比亚所有地区开展全面的预防项目、基于学校的口腔保健举措以及改进数据收集策略。
