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ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a group of conditions characterized by changes in the movements and function of the orofacial region and one of main reported symptoms is pain. As it has been increasingly described among different age groups, this study aimed to evaluate the presence of symptoms of TMD and their possible associated factors in older people from a city in southern Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional household-based study using a per cluster sampling strategy was performed including 282 older adults aged ≥60 years in the city of Veranópolis/RS. A clinical oral examination and a structured questionnaire were applied. TMD symptoms were evaluated with Fonseca Anamnestic Index (FAI) questionnaire and divided into those "without TMD" and "with TMD" (the later including those reporting mild, moderate and severe TMD symptoms). Associations were performed by the chi-square or Mann-Whitney tests based on frequency distribution. Bi and multivariate analyses were performed using Poisson regression with robust variation to verify associations. RESULTS: Prevalence among older adults that reported symptoms of TMD was 30.5% (n=86). In the final multivariate model, female older adults presented higher prevalence ratio (PR) for symptoms of TMD, presenting 62.8% (p=0.040) higher PR to at least mild symptoms of TMD when compared to older adult men. Number of teeth, need for dental prosthesis or other demographic variables were not associated with symptoms of TMD. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated a prevalence of TMD symptoms in the seniors of approximately 30%, which was most associated with females. Despite its relevance in public health strategies focused on older adults, these findings should be interpreted with caution due to their observational and cross-sectional nature.
RESUMO JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: As disfunções temporomandibulares (DTM) são um grupo de condições caracterizadas por alteração dos movimentos e função da região orofacial e um dos maiores sintomas relatados é a dor. Como estas disfunções têm sido descritas de forma crescente entre diversas faixas etárias, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a presença de sintomas de DTM e seus possíveis fatores associados em idosos de uma cidade do sul do Brasil. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal de base domiciliar com amostra probabilística por conglomerado incluindo 282 idosos com idade ≥60 anos da cidade de Veranópolis/RS. Um exame clínico de saúde bucal e questionário estruturado foram aplicados. Sintomas de DTM foram avaliados pelo Índice Anamnésico de Fonseca (IAF) e categorizados em "Sem DTM" e "Com DTM", sendo que o último incluiu aqueles com sintomas compatíveis com DTM, moderada ou grave. Associações foram avaliadas pelos testes de Qui-quadrado ou Mann-Whitney por distribuição de frequências. Análises bi e multivariadas foram realizadas utilizando-se regressão de Poisson com variância robusta para verificar associações. RESULTADOS: A prevalência de idosos que relataram sintomas de DTM foi de 30,5% (n=86). No modelo multivariado final, idosas do sexo feminino apresentaram maior razão de prevalência (RP) para sintomas de DTM, apresentando 62,8% maior RP (p=0,040) de ter, pelo menos, sintomas leves de DTM quando comparados a idosos do sexo masculino. O número de dentes presentes, necessidade de prótese ou outras variáveis demográficas não estiveram associadas com a presença de sintomas de DTM. CONCLUSÃO: Os achados do presente estudo demonstraram prevalência de sintomas de DTM em idosos de aproximadamente 30%, com maior associação com o sexo feminino. Apesar de relevantes para delineamento de estratégias de saúde para idosos, os achados do presente estudo devem ser interpretados com cautela por sua natureza observacional e transversal.
ABSTRACT
Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of concern with dental appearance (DA) and associated factors among the elderly of two southern Brazilian cities. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the cities of Cruz Alta and Veranópolis, Brazil. Oral health examination and a structured questionnaire were applied. Questions from the PCATool-SB Brasil tool and the Questionnaire about Teeth Appearance, both validated to Brazilian samples, were used. The collected independent variables were: sex, age, ethnicity, education level, marital status, retirement, health problem, use of medication, smoking exposure, alcohol exposure, access to the dentist, toothbrushing frequency, use of dental floss, edentulism, use of and need for dental prosthesis. Concern with DA was dichotomized into yes/no. Associations between dependent and independent variables were assessed by Chi-square or Mann-Whitney tests. Moreover, uni- and multivariate analyses were conducted by Poisson regression with robust variance. Level of significance was established as p<0.05. Results: The prevalence of concern with DA was 18.8% (n=107). The prevalence ratio (PR) of concern with DA decreased 5.8% for each year increase (PR:0.942; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]:0.9110.973). Elderly without access to the dentist in the last 12 months presented 62.5% (p=0.006) higher PR of concern with DA when compared to those with access to dental care. Dentate elderly showed 219% higher PR for concern with DA (PR:2.197; 95%CI:1.3643.539) in comparison to edentulous individuals. Conclusion: Prevalence of concern with DA was low and associated with demographics, access to dental care and edentulism