The association between self-reported temporomandibular disorder symptoms and neck disability in university students: a cross-sectional study

This study aimed to assess self-reported Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) symptoms among university students and explore their association with neck disability.

A total of 763 students from Nigde Omer Halisdemir University participated in this study. The participants completed the Fonseca Anamnestic Index (FAI) to evaluate ear pain, discomfort in the TMJ and chewing muscles, restrictions in jaw movements, headaches, joint sounds, and emotional stress. The Neck Disability Index (NDI) was used to identify neck disability among the participants.

Among the students, 77.1% were female and 22.9% were male, with a mean age of 20.65 ± 3.94 years. 70.4% of the students had no parafunctional habits. The most common parafunctional habit was tongue, cheek, or lip biting (9.4%). The FAI score differed significantly between sexes (30.0 ± 20.09 for females and 20.0 ± 16.57 for males; p < 0.001). The NDI scores were 8.32 ± 5.75 for females and 5.47 ± 5.06 for males, also showing a significant difference (p < 0.001). Furthermore, a positive correlation (r = 0.597) was found between the students' FAI and NDI scores, with higher FAI scores associated with increased NDI scores.

Higher self-reported TMD symptom severity was observed among women, and these symptoms were positively correlated with neck disability. While developing strategies to mitigate the potential development or exacerbation of neck disability, it may be beneficial to consider the factors identified in this study; however, prospective research is required to confirm causal relationships.