Risk assessment for temporomandibular disorder among biomedical students and its association with lifestyle habits

Uvod: Temporomandibularni poremećaji (TMD) su skupni naziv za različite simptome uzrokovane abnormalnostima u temporomandibularnom zglobu (TMZ) i povezanim strukturama. Simptomi i znakovi TMD uključuju ograničen raspon pokreta, škljocanje u funkciji i bol. Najčešće se dijagnosticira pomoću kliničkih znakova i simptoma, povezanih s psihosocijalnim i bihevioralnim statusom . TMD pogađa od 20 % do 40 % opće populacije. Cilj ovog istraživanja je ispitati učestalost temporomandibularnog poremećaja među studentima biomedicine te ispitati povezanost životnih navika i temporomandibularnog poremećaja među istima. Ispitanici i metode: Provedeno je presječno istraživanje koje je uključivalo 347 studenata Medicinskog fakulteta u Splitu. Svi ispitanici su ispunili Google Forms® anketu koja se sastojala od 74 pitanja. Anketni upitnik ispitao je sljedeće stavke; sociodemografska obilježja ispitanika, njihove životne navike, a nakon čega je usljedila procjena TMD i percepcije stresa. Rezultati: Analiza je pokazala da 42 % ispitanih studenata nema simptome TMD, kao i da 40 % pokazuju blagi TMD, dok je 12,1 % pokazalo srednji oblik, a tek 5,7 % ispitanih studenata teški oblik TMD. 77,2 % ispitanika bili su nepušači. Dok je 74 % ispitanika označilo da konzumira kavu, 80,7 % ispitanika označilo je da konzumiraju alkohol. U usporedbi s nepušačima uočena je veća učestalost srednjeg ili teškog poremećaja u ispitanika koji su pušači (P < 0,001). Ispitanici koji su konzumirali više od 2,1 šalica dnevno imali su srednje do teški TMD u usporedbi s ispitanicima koji su konzumirali 1 šalicu dnevno, P < 0,001. Pronađena je pozitivna korelacija količine stresa s ozbiljnošću TMD. Zaključak: Naše istraživanje pokazalo je da studenti biomedicinskih studija uistinu imaju povećan rizrik za temporomandibularnim poremećajem jer taj rizik pozitivno korelira s prijavljenom količinom stresa kao i životnim navikama ( konzumacija alkohola, duhanskih proizvoda, kave i energetskih pića) koje mogu pospješiti simptome TMDIntroduction: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a collective name for various symptoms caused by abnormalities in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and related structures. Symptoms and signs of TMD include limited range of motion, clicking sounds and pain. It is most often diagnosed using clinical signs and symptoms, associated with psychosocial and behavioral status. TMD affects 20% to 40% of the general population. The aim of this research is to examine the frequency of temporomandibular disorder among biomedical students and to examine the connection between lifestyle habits and temporomandibular disorder among biomedical students. Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted that included 347 students of the Faculty of Medicine in Split. All respondents filled out a Google Forms® survey consisting of 74 questions. The survey questionnaire examined the following items; sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents, their lifestyle habits, followed by an assessment of TMD and stress perception. Results: The analysis showed that 42% of the examined students did not have symptoms of TMD, and that 40% showed mild TMD, while 12.1% showed a moderate form, and only 5.7% of the examined students showed a severe form of TMD. 77.2% of respondents were non-smokers. While 74% of respondents indicated that they consume coffee, 80.7% of respondents indicated that they consume alcohol. Compared to non-smokers, a higher frequency of moderate or severe disorders was observed in subjects who were smokers (p < 0.001). Subjects who consumed more than 2.1 cups per day had moderate to severe TMD compared to subjects who consumed 1 cup per day, p < 0.001. A positive correlation of the amount of stress with the severity of TMD was found. Conclusion: Our research showed that students of biomedical studies really have an increased risk for temporomandibular disorders because this risk positively correlates with the reported amount of stress as well as lifestyle habits (consumption of alcohol, tobacco products, coffee and energy drinks) that can make TMD symptoms more prominent