title: Prevalence of signs and symptoms indicative of temporomandibular disorders and headaches in 35-, 50-, 65- and 75-year-olds living in Västerbotten, Sweden.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to analyze and compare prevalence of signs and frequently occurring symptoms indicative of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and headaches in 35-, 50-, 65- and 75-year-old men and women in Västerbotten County, Sweden.
  
  
  METHODS
  From a total target population of 11 324 subjects living in Västerbotten County in the year 2002, 300 individuals in each age group were randomly selected. Of these, 998 (82% response rate) answered and returned a postal questionnaire and 779 (65% response rate) individuals accepted a clinical examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of frequent TMD symptoms peaked among 50-year-old women and then declined. Women at this age reported significantly higher prevalence compared to men for all TMD symptoms except temporomandibular joint locking. In the 65- and 75-year-olds, the prevalence was practically equal between men and women as well as between these ages. Frequent headaches showed the highest prevalence among 35- and 50-year-old women, with a statistically significant difference between men and women of 50 years of age (p < 0.05). Fifty-year-old women had statistically significantly higher prevalence of muscle pain to palpation (p < 0.001), temporomandibular joint sounds (p < 0.01) and impaired maximal jaw opening capacity (p < 0.01), compared to 50-year-old men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The different symptoms indicative of TMD and headaches showed a similar pattern, with higher prevalence among the 35- and 50-year-old, as compared to the 65- and 75-year-old, participants. The pattern may be related to biological, psychosocial or generation-related factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oral Physiology, University of Umeå , Umeå , Sweden.
authors.forename: Negin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yekkalam
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wänman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: craniomandibular disorders; epidemiology; gender; headache; pain