Evaluation of obesity in prevalence and severity of temporomandibular disorders

Abstract

Obesity is a chronic and prevalent disorder. Beyond being a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, clinical evidence suggests that obesity and some types of chronic pain are comorbid. Accordingly, herein we hypothesize obesity is also comorbid to temporomandibular disorder (TMD). Aim: To test whether obesity, TMD pain, and severity of TMD pain are associated. Methods: Sample size calculations defined the sample as n = 230. Participants will be adults seeking dental care at the Araraquara School of Dentistry - UNESP. They will be stratified in with and without TMD (as per the RDC) and will undergo nutritional characterization. Sample will be described from a sociodemographic perspective. Other variables to be assessed using validated instruments include depression (Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders- Axis II), migraine (ID-Migraine), allodynia (Allodynia Symptom Checklist (ASC 12)), obstructive sleep apnea (Berlin Questionnaire), and evaluate the grade of physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire). Body mass index and abdominal circumference will be estimated, and bioimpedance will be conducted to determinate the visceral fat area. For univariate assessments of associations the chi-square test, one-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis tests will be performed. Multivariate analysis will estimate TMD pain and severity of pain as a function of obesity after adjustments for gender, age, depression, sleep apnea, sedentary lifestyle, allodynia, migraine and musculoskeletal chronic pain. The significant level of 5% will be adopted. (AU)