Associação entre provável bruxismo em vigília e bullying escolar entre crianças e adolescentes: um estudo caso-controle

Abstract

Bruxism is characterize by rhythmic and non-rhythmic masticatory muscle activity that can be named in sleep bruxism (SB) and awake bruxism (AB). Emotional and psychological factors are closely related to this activity. School bullying can cause emotional changes in students. The aim of this study was to evaluate, through a case-control study nested in a cross-sectional study, an association between probable awake bruxism (PAB) and bullying among children and adolescents, aged 8 to 11 years, enrolled of public and private schools from Lavras, Brazil. The sample of this study was consisted by children/adolescents who participated in the cross-sectional study previously carried out and their parents/caregivers. Children/adolescents were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of the PAB. The case group was composed by 190 children/adolescents with PAB and the control group was composed by 190 children/adolescents without PAB. The groups were matched for sex and age at a proportion of 1:1. Parents/caregivers answered a questionnaire about their child's sleep characteristics and another questionnaire about sociodemographic factors. The children/adolescents answered a questionnaire about customs, sleep quality and occurrence of PAB and the Brazilian version of the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ). An intraoral clinical examination to assess tooth wear by attrition was conducted by a single examiner, previously calibrated. The diagnosis of PAB was based on the frequency of reports by children and adolescents added to the information on the diagnosis of tooth wear by attrition assessed in a clinical examination. All data were evaluated using the SPSS for Windows program (version 21.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago IL, USA). Descriptive analysis and unadjusted and adjusted conditional logistic regression analyses were performed. Among the 380 participants, 176 (46.3%) were boys and 204 (53.7%) were girls. Overall number of children and adolescents involved in bullying was 23.2% (n = 88), 65.9% (n = 58) had PAB. Children and adolescents who were bullies-victims of bullying (OR= 2,92, IC 95% 1,07 a 7,95, p = 0,036) and those who were victims of bullying (OR = 1,93, IC 95% 1,04 a 3,57, p = 0,037) were more likely to present PAB than children and adolescents who were not involved in episodes of bullying at school. Children/adolescents that reported sleep problems (OR= 2,51, IC de 95% 1,07 a 5,89, p = 0,033) and sleep problems sometimes (OR= 1,94, IC de 95% 1,23 a 3,06, p = 0,004), are more likely to have PAB. Sociodemographic factors (schooling, monthly family income) and behavioral factors were not associated with PAB. In conclusion, PAB in children and adolescents aged 8 to 11 years was associated with involvement in episodes of school bullying and sleep problems.