title: Influence of sociodemographic factors upon pain intensity in patients with temporomandibular joint disorders seen in the primary care setting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A study is made of the influence of gender, educational level, marital status, income, social support, and perceived general and oral health upon pain intensity in a sample of patients with temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJD) explored in primary care (AP).
  
  
  METHODS
  A review was made of 899 patients from Córdoba Healthcare District (Spain) referred to the primary care TMJD Unit by their primary care physician and/or dentist. Of these subjects, 151 failed to meet the inclusion criteria. The remaining 748 subjects were explored according to the corresponding research diagnostic criteria (RDC/TMJD). A bivariate analysis was made the association of pain intensity to the demographic and psychological characteristics of the patients, and to perceived general and oral health, followed by a multivariate linear regression analysis to explain pain intensity as a function of the rest of the variables. The SPSS version 19.0 statistical package was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patient age ranged from 18-86 years, with a mean of 45.8 years (± 15.8), and a female predominance of 5:1. The characteristic pain intensity (CPI) score was almost 15 points higher on average in women than in men (p<0.05). A lower educational level, and separation or divorce, were correlated to an increased intensity of pain. Social support, depression and general and oral health also explained part of pain intensity. The regression model established with these variables accounted for 13.3% of the variability of pain (R2 = 0.133).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women suffer more intense pain than men. Perceived health partially explains the variability of the CPI score. However, it is empirically seen that the variables gender, educational level and marital status exert an important and independent influence upon pain intensity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Otorhinolaryngology and Dermatology, University of Córdoba, Spain. antoniom.blanco.sspa@juntadeandalucia.es
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blanco-Hungría
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Torronteras
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blanco-Aguilera
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Biedma-Velázquez
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Serrano-Del-Rosal
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Segura-Saint-Gerons
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de la Torre-de la Torre
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Esparza-Díaz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003710:Demography; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult