AUTHOR=Pei Ya-Peng , Li Han-Chao , Zhong Jia-Wei , Gao Xin-Lin , Xiao Chu-Qiao , Yue Yuan , Xiong Xin 

TITLE=The association between problematic smartphone use and the severity of temporomandibular disorders: A cross-sectional study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1042147

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.1042147

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of different types of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) symptoms in young adults and determine their associations with problematic smartphone use (PSU).
Methods: The data of the study were collected from local university students through an online questionnaire survey. Demographic information, Fonseca Anamnestic Index (FAI), Smartphone Addiction Scale – Short Version (SAS-SV), and Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) responses were gathered electronically and analyzed using multiple logistic regression analysis.
Results: There were 163 male and 307 female respondents were participated in this study. The prevalence of PSU and TMD were 83.6% and 66.4%, respectively. There was a moderate statistical correlation between PSU and TMD among young adults (r=0.31, p<0.01). The logistic regression model revealed that the risk of TMD was 1.77 times higher in people with PSU than in those without PSU (OR=1.77 95% CI 1.04-3.06). PSU is a risk factor for pain-related TMD (OR=1.81 95% CI 1.08, 3.04) but not intra-articular TMD.
Conclusion: Subjects showed high prevalence of both TMD and PSU. People with PSU experienced more severe and frequent pain-related rather than intra-articular TMD symptoms than those without PSU. By reducing the problematic smartphone use, the risk factor of TMD can be avoided.