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Self‐reported symptoms of temporomandibular pain and jaw dysfunction in adolescents are associated with exposure to violence
Author(s) -
Nascimento Michele,
Dahllöf Göran,
Cunha Soares Fernanda,
Mayer Tricia Murielly Andrade de Souza,
Kvist Therese,
Colares Viviane
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of oral rehabilitation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.991
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-2842
pISSN - 0305-182X
DOI - 10.1111/joor.13171
Subject(s) - victimisation , medicine , logistic regression , injury prevention , poison control , clinical psychology , odds ratio , cross sectional study , epidemiology , sexual abuse , psychiatry , environmental health , pathology
Abstract Background Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are multifactorial, and high levels of stress seem to increase symptoms. The association with exposure to violence has not been explored in adolescent populations. Objective To examine the association of self‐reported symptoms of temporomandibular pain and jaw dysfunction with child physical abuse, intimate partner violence, forced sexual intercourse, and bullying victimisation. Methods An epidemiological, cross‐sectional, school‐based study was conducted in Olinda, northeast Brazil. The sample comprised 2,431 adolescents aged 14–19 years. TMD‐related symptoms and exposure to violence were assessed with questions from the 3Q/TMD screener and queries on exposure to different forms of violence. Multilevel logistic regressions were conducted to evaluate how 3Q screen‐positive responses are associated with self‐reported exposure to violence. Results Self‐reported TMD‐related symptoms had a prevalence of 40.5%. Significantly more females than males screened positive to all 3Q/TMD questions ( p < .001). Adolescents experiencing intimate partner violence ( p = .012) and bullying ( p < .001) had significantly higher odds of 3Q positive responses than those who reported no exposure to violence. Significant associations of TMD‐related symptoms with forced sexual intercourse ( p = .014) and with bullying ( p = .007) were observed. Conclusion Adolescents with self‐reported symptoms of temporomandibular pain and jaw dysfunction were significantly more often exposed to some type of violence. The number of adolescents reporting TMD‐related symptoms increased in a dose‐response manner with the number of violence forms the individual had experienced.