Ethnic Variations in Temporomandibular Disorder Symptoms, Oral Behaviours, Personality Traits, and Psychosocial Profiles Among Young Adults: Insights From a Comparative Analysis.

BACKGROUND

Although psychosocial and behavioural factors in temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are well documented, ethnic variations remain underexplored, particularly within multiracial populations.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to compare TMD symptoms, oral behaviours, and psychosocial characteristics across ethnic groups, examine interrelationships between physical-psychosocial variables, and identify factors influencing TMD pain and oral behaviours in young adults.

METHODS

Participants, recruited from a large public university, completed an online survey comprising sociodemographic information, the Five TMD Symptoms screener, Short-form Fonseca Anamnestic Index, Oral Behaviour Checklist, Big-Five Personality Inventory-10, Patient Health Questionnaire-4, and 15. Data were evaluated using the Chi-square test, non-parametric tests/correlation, and logistic regression (α = 0.05).

RESULTS

The study included 766 individuals (mean age: 21.1 [SD 1.8]; 65.8% women) with an ethnic distribution of 58.4% Malay (M), 36.2% Chinese (C), and 5.5% Indian (I). Of these, 34.1% reported no TMD symptoms, while 8.5%, 29.1%, and 28.3% had intra-articular, pain-related, and combined symptoms, respectively. Moderate-to-severe psychological distress affected 21.3%, and 16.6% experienced moderate-to-severe somatization. No significant differences were found in TMD symptom type/severity or frequency of oral behaviours. However, notable variations in personality traits, psychological distress (I/M > C; p = 0.018), and somatization (M > C; p = 0.001) were observed among the three ethnic groups. Moderate correlations were detected between oral behaviours, psychological distress, and somatization (rs = 0.42-0.53).

CONCLUSIONS

In young adults, both TMD pain and high oral overuse behaviour are linked to psychological distress (ORs < 1.19) and somatization (ORs < 1.14). Ethnicity was not independently associated but may still hold relevance in multicultural contexts.