Wong Natalie Sui Miu, Yeung Andy Wai Kan, McGrath Colman Patrick, Leung Yiu Yan
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Applied Oral Sciences & Community Dental Care, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Front Psychol. 2024 May 22;15:1372177. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1372177. eCollection 2024.
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and dental anxiety among Chinese adults in Hong Kong.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted at a university in Hong Kong. The recruiting period and data collection started in January 2023 and ended in June 2023. Participants completed an online questionnaire that assessed ACEs (using the Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire - ACE-IQ) and dental anxiety (using the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale - MDAS and Dental Fear Survey - DFS). The study examined the impacts of both cumulative (i.e., total number) and independent ACE components on dental anxiety. To explore the relationships between cumulative ACEs, individual ACE components and dental anxiety (MDAS and DFS score), Pearson correlations, linear regression and logistic regression were conducted.
Significant associations were observed between ACEs and dental anxiety among 171 subjects. Cumulative ACEs were positively correlated with MDAS scores ( = 0.169, = 0.027) and DFS scores ( = 0.253, < 0.001). The odds of an individual having high dental anxiety increased by 26-43% for every additional increase in the number of ACEs. Individual types of ACEs, such as emotional and physical neglect, sexual abuse, and household substance abuse, significantly influenced the likelihood of having high dental anxiety.
The results showed a positive association between ACEs and dental anxiety, highlighting the impact of ACEs on dental anxiety. Dental practitioners should consider inquiring about a patient's ACE history to develop personalized treatment plans.
本研究旨在调查香港中国成年人童年不良经历（ACEs）与牙科焦虑之间的关系。
在香港一所大学进行了一项横断面调查。招募期和数据收集于2023年1月开始，2023年6月结束。参与者完成了一份在线问卷，该问卷评估了ACEs（使用国际童年不良经历问卷 - ACE-IQ）和牙科焦虑（使用改良牙科焦虑量表 - MDAS和牙科恐惧调查 - DFS）。该研究考察了累积（即总数）和独立的ACE成分对牙科焦虑的影响。为了探究累积ACEs、个体ACE成分与牙科焦虑（MDAS和DFS评分）之间的关系，进行了Pearson相关性分析、线性回归和逻辑回归。
在171名受试者中观察到ACEs与牙科焦虑之间存在显著关联。累积ACEs与MDAS评分呈正相关（r = 0.169，p = 0.027），与DFS评分呈正相关（r = 0.253，p < 0.001）。ACEs数量每增加一个，个体患高度牙科焦虑的几率就增加26% - 43%。个体类型的ACEs，如情感和身体忽视、性虐待以及家庭药物滥用，显著影响患高度牙科焦虑的可能性。
结果显示ACEs与牙科焦虑之间存在正相关，突出了ACEs对牙科焦虑的影响。牙科从业者应考虑询问患者的ACE病史，以制定个性化的治疗方案。
