The Relationship Between Work-Related Stress and Temporomandibular Disorders-Related Symptoms in Japanese Working Population.

BACKGROUND

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) aetiological factors have multidimensional, biomechanical, neuromuscular, biopsychosocial and neurobiological aspects. The relationship between work environment factors or occupational stress and TMD is not sufficiently investigated and is still poorly understood.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate work-related stress and the effect of personal computer (PC) use on TMD.

METHODS

A questionnaire-based survey that was conducted among 5619 employees of three companies. The questionnaire was used to screen TMD-related symptoms (TRS), habitual behaviours, psychosocial status, awake and sleep bruxism and time spent using a PC at work. After excluding missing data values, 4776 individuals were included in the analysis. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesised models that correlated TRS with the other factors of the questionnaire, and to examine the effect of the time spent using the PC on men and women in our sample. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS

SEM revealed that psychosocial factors affected TRS indirectly through their direct effect on sleep bruxism and other behavioural factors which had a direct effect on TRS. The effect of PC usage time was greater for women than for men.

CONCLUSIONS

Behavioural factors, including SB, may have a direct effect on TRS, while psychosocial factors may have an indirect effect on TRS. In addition, the results suggest that prolonged PC use influences behavioural and psychosocial factors, and this was especially true for women.