Prevalence of Temporomandibular Joint Disorders among University Students with Smartphone Addiction
Keywords:
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, Smartphone Addiction, Orofacial Pain, Musculoskeletal Disorders, Smartphone Addiction Scale.Abstract
Background: Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) are common orofacial disorders involving pain, joint noises, and restrictions in function. With the current generation's extensive dependence on their mobile devices, an extended smartphone habit can cause a change in your posture, strain in your muscles and temporomandibular dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to find the prevalence of TMD symptoms among university students with smartphone addiction.
Methods: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study with 150 students at the university over 150 days. The participants were selected by a consecutive sampling method. A structured questionnaire was used in which the demographic characteristics, Smartphone Addiction Scale -Short Version (SAS-SV), and assessment of the symptoms of TMD were collected. Data was analyzed with SPSS version 26. Frequencies and percentages were computed, and the chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to assess associations. A p-value of less than 0.05 was defined as being statistically significant.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 22.4 years ± 2.1 years. The prevalence of TMD among students was 45.3%, with the most common complaints being joint clicking, jaw pain, and masticatory muscle discomfort. Over 50% of the respondents had smartphone use of over 4 hours daily. Higher levels of smartphone addiction were associated with TMD symptoms (p=0.002). Students who were more likely to be highly addicted to their smartphones were almost 3 times more likely to experience symptoms of TMD than those with lower smartphone addiction scores.
Conclusion: The prevalence of symptoms of TMD and its significant relationship with smartphone addiction and long smartphone use were observed among the students of the university. Educating users of smartphones, their ergonomic awareness and early detection may be helpful in reducing the development of TMD in young adults.
