Resumen

ABSTRACT Objective: To explore the relationship of waking-state oral activities with symptoms of depression, distress, and anxiety in adolescents and to determine the psychological predictors for high wake-state oral behaviors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed. One hundred adolescents 12-15 years old from private and public schools in Medellín, Colombia were enrolled. Subjects with known systemic diseases, altered neurological conditions, and/or respiratory or sleep disturbances were excluded. The frequency of non-physiological awake oral behaviors (NPAOB) and awake bruxism (AB) was appraised with the oral behavior checklist (OBC). Instruments from the DC/TMD Axis II were used to assess the symptoms of depression (PHQ-A), symptoms of anxiety (GAD-7), distress (PSS-C), and somatization (PHQ-15). Data were analyzed with the Spearman correlation test and ordinal-multiple-variable regression analyses. Results: Twenty-one adolescents did not complete the instruments, thus data from 79 participants (mean age 13.4 ± 1.6 years) were analyzed. Symptoms of depression did not represent a significant predictor of NPAOB, but it is of AB. The occurrence of anxiety symptoms led to a twofold increase in the likelihood of having NPAOB (OR>2; p<0.05), while anxiety, distress and somatization was associated with a more than three times higher probability of NPAOB and AB (OR>2;p<0.05). Conclusion: Distress, anxiety and somatization were predictors of high NPAOB and high AB, increasing its odds by about 2 to 3 times.