Abstract:Background: Paediatric oral health research in Malaysia adheres to international and national ethical standards. However, the common practice of categorising these studies as minimal risk can negatively affect transparency, especially regarding child assent, thereby potentially compromising equitable research practices. Objectives: This scoping review aims to systematically assess the transparency of ethical reporting, specifically ethics approval, parental consent, and child assent in published paediatric oral health research from Malaysia. Materials and Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, MyJurnal, and the NMRR registry, following PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Results: A total of 72 articles met the inclusion criteria. Ethics approval was reported in 88.9% of studies, and parental consent in 93.1%. However, child assent was documented in only 6.9% of studies, emerging notably only after 2021. Among studies reporting assent, 60% utilised written assent forms, 40% relied on implied assent, and only one study provided detailed procedural documentation. Overall reporting frequency for ethics approval and parental consent improved significantly, from under 50% in 2001 2005 to over 95% after 2015, yet detailed child assent reporting remains limited. Conclusions: Transparent documentation and standardised, age-appropriate assent procedures are essential for promoting equitable paediatric oral health research. Strengthening collaboration among researchers, ethics committees, and journal editors is crucial to ensure ethical rigor and enhance global health equity.
Keywords: Bioethics, Paediatric Oral Health, Research Ethics, Child Assent, Parental Consent ,Transparency, Ethical safeguards
