Targeted online health information was associated with more severe temporomandibular disorders.

BACKGROUND

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are typical biopsychosocial conditions often accompanied by anxiety, somatization and even cyberchondria. Targeted online health information is increasingly prominent in digital era yet its psychological impact on TMDs remains underexplored. To examine the association between targeted online health information and TMDs severity, and to explore whether anxiety, cyberchondria and somatization mediate this relationship.

METHODS

Participants were evaluated using questionnaires including the five TMDs symptoms (TMDs-5T) scale, 7-item Generalised Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), short-form version of the cyberchondria severity scale (CSS-12) and somatic symptom scale-8 (SSS-8). Data on targeted online health information, search frequency and perceived impact were also collected. Analyses were conducted using SPSS and Mplus.

RESULTS

A total of 588 valid responses were analyzed. Greater TMDs severity was significantly associated with targeted online health information delivery (β = 1.373, p < 0.001), anxiety (β = 1.714, p < 0.001) and cyberchondria (β = 1.641, p < 0.001). The chain mediation model revealed that both the total effect and direct effect (Targeted online health information → TMDs-5T) were significant (β = 2.261, p < 0.001; β = 1.003, p < 0.001). A significant indirect pathway was also identified, in which targeted online health information influenced TMD severity through somatization, anxiety, and cyberchondria (β = 0.210, p = 0.026).

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to targeted online health information was associated with greater TMD symptom severity, mediated by psychological factors such as somatization, anxiety, and cyberchondria. These findings underscore the importance of algorithmic ethics, policy oversight, and user education to mitigate psychological risks in digital health environments.